Airbnb has previously hinted at its intention to develop an AI travel agent, and on Thursday the company confirmed that this new AI feature will debut in the first half of 2027. In its Q3 shareholder letter released Thursday, Airbnb also shed more light on how the agent will function, what it will actually do, and how it differs from a standard AI chatbot.

In earlier interviews, CEO Brian Chesky outlined the travel company's AI strategy, describing plans for an AI agent featuring a richer interface than a conventional chatbot. He also shared his views on why chatbots aren't the ideal interface for travel, pointing out that people derive enjoyment from the planning process and from anticipating a trip. Chesky reaffirmed that conviction today, telling analysts on the earnings call that people won't rely on a single AI agent for everything.

"Today's AI agents like Muse and Instinct are good at simple routine tasks like making a restaurant reservation or scheduling an appointment. But planning a trip is different," he said. "Travel is aspirational. Discovering where to go and where to stay is part of the experience. In fact, 80% of travelers say they enjoy spending time researching trips. People want to look at photos. They want to compare homes. They want to make decisions with people they're traveling with," he continued. "And I don't think the general-purpose agents are the best to do that. So that is why we are building our own AI agent," Chesky said.

Airbnb described its agent as featuring a personalized interface built specifically for travel, one that will "build an interface" around a user's question rather than simply responding the way a chatbot would. "What we are doing is developing a custom-designed AI-native experience that responds to what guests are looking for," Chesky said. "So instead of relying on traditional chat alone, which is very text-heavy—which, again, is definitely not the way you should plan travel, our agent draws from a library of hundreds of travel-specific interface components—maps, photos, comparisons, calendars, itineraries—and composes them in real time to match what they're looking for."

The executive said the agent will feel "a little bit like generative UI," as it's designed to present "the right interface at the right time" for someone's specific travel needs. In its shareholder letter, the company emphasized that its nearly 20 years of experience connecting hosts and guests is shaping how the agent is built, as it incorporates insights about how people both book and host on its platform. The agent will also be capable of assisting travelers beyond the booking itself.

"Our agent will be able to help guests throughout their trip—from changing a reservation or resolving a payment issue to getting help with refunds, rebooking, or 24-hour safety support. These are things an outside agent can't easily do on its own," the company wrote. Over time, Airbnb expects the agent will be able to assist travelers with other aspects of their trip, including not only homes and hotels, but also services and experiences. Services and experiences are two areas that have become a bigger focus for the company following its redesign last year.

While the company previously said to expect its AI agent sometime in the next year, it's now more specifically committing to rolling out the new technology to consumers in the first half of 2027. The news of the agent's release was delivered alongside strong third-quarter earnings, with revenue growing 19% to $4.87 billion, topping Wall Street estimates. It also raised its 2026 revenue growth forecast, which it now predicts will be in the high teens, instead of the mid-teens.

"Airbnb is back in growth mode," Chesky told analysts on the Q3 earnings call on Thursday. "It's rare for a marketplace of our size to reaccelerate growth, but that's exactly what we're doing. Q3 was our fastest revenue growth in more than three years," he added.