Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says Silicon Valley's enterprise focus is fueling AI backlash. He wants more consumer products that regular people can use and love.
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky thinks Silicon Valley is partly responsible for the public's distrust of AI. The problem, he said, is the kinds of products that reach the market.
In an interview with Yahoo Finance's "Power Players" podcast published this week, Chesky said the industry is shipping too many enterprise tools and not enough things that regular people can use.
"I think part of it's a narrative issue that we're not talking about AI correctly," Chesky said. "Part of it is we need to actually be developing more products that just regular people can use and say, 'I love AI because AI allows me to have a doctor on demand and I can't have that. I can't afford that.'"
Chesky, who co-founded the home-rental platform 18 years ago, said many founders today seem "afraid" to build consumer-facing products. He pointed to the latest batch of companies at Y Combinator, the startup accelerator where he sits on the board. Of 175 companies in the most recent cohort, 159 were enterprise-focused.
"It's in Silicon Valley's interest for us to develop consumer applications that improve people's lives," he said. "Regular people in the United States do not like AI. The concept of AI is not popular outside of Silicon Valley, and yet this is a technology that can help so many people's lives."
The numbers support his claim. A Pew Research Center report published in June found that 40% of U.S. adults believe AI's impact on society over the next 20 years will be negative. Only 16% expect a positive effect.
The public skepticism has pushed some tech leaders into defensive mode. Several AI companies have released upbeat advertisements aimed at countering fears about automation and job loss. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg this week published a 6,500-word manifesto titled "The Future is for Everyone" outlining his vision of an AI-powered world.
Airbnb declined to provide additional comment when reached by Business Insider.
Chesky's comments arrive as the broader market watches how AI adoption translates into revenue for companies like his. The stock has climbed roughly 12% this year, trailing the S&P 500's gain, as investors weigh travel demand against competition from hotels and booking platforms.
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