Airbnb CEO predicts AI will pave the way for 'millions of startups' instead of replacing jobs

• Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky said AI will ultimately be a boon to the job market.
• He predicts AI will propel "millions of startups," even as jobs at existing companies could decrease.

Is AI a job destroyer or a job creator?

Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky says, ultimately, it will be the latter.

He anticipates that the technology will propel "millions of new startups," he told investor Jason Calacanis on a recent episode of This Week In Startups.

Complimentary Tech Event

Transform talent with learning that works

Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

AI has enabled those with existing jobs to be more efficient. This year alone, Chesky estimated that AI would allow engineers at his company to be 30% more productive in the next year" without the tax of more people," he told Calcanis. The podcast was first reported by CNBC Monday.

While this may mean fewer open roles for job seekers, it's good news for companies' bottom lines and — as Chesky anticipates — could make it easier for job seekers to build their own companies, ultimately creating a more robust job market.

"I think anyone can do what only a software engineer allowed you to do five years ago — it's going to be awesome for many people," Chesky said. "It's going to be wildly disruptive for others."

While many in the business world have said AI could profoundly impact innovation and the economy, business leaders, including Warren Buffett, are skeptical. Elon Musk, for example, believes there are pros and cons to AI and said there needs to be regulation to ensure that its impact is net positive – even if that means development slows down.

Last month, AI pioneers, including OpenAI and Google DeepMind, signed a letter claiming that the technology poses a risk to humanity's existence if left to expand without regulation.

"Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war," the AI leaders said in their letter, posted on the Center for AI Safety, urging policymakers to regulate its growth.