Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky: ‘Anti-AI is unfortunately becoming a bipartisan issue’

>> WELCOME BACK TO SQUAWK BOX AIRBNB ANNOUNCING NEW OFFERINGS BOTH ON THE PLATFORM AND ON THE GROUND AT AIRBNB PROPERTIES, THE COMPANY ROLLING OUT AI SEARCH AND NEW SOCIAL FEATURES, AS WELL AS IN-APP GROCERY DELIVERIES, ALSO GEAR RENTALS FOR SPORTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN. WE SPOKE WITH CEO BRIAN CHESKY ABOUT HIS VISION FOR NOW, A NEW SORT OF AI NATIVE AIRBNB. AS WE TALK ABOUT ALL THESE NEW AGENTS COMING OUT AND MORE BROADLY ABOUT AN AI NATIVE WORLD. >> I THINK THE TECHNOLOGY IS REALLY EARLY. I THINK THAT THE TIMELINES FOR THE FOR THE DOOMSDAY SCENARIO ARE PROBABLY OVERSTATED. I DO THINK THAT CYBER ATTACKS ARE PROBABLY NOT OVERSTATED. AND WE GOT TO TAKE THIS REALLY, REALLY SERIOUSLY. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING AS WE AS A VALLEY, WE NEED TO GET WE NEED TO GET ON THE SAME PAGE. ALMOST EVERY OTHER INDUSTRY, THE CEOS ARE ALL WILLING TO GET IN A ROOM TOGETHER. AND IN OUR INDUSTRY, UNLESS THEY'RE MEETING TRUMP AT THE WHITE HOUSE, THEY'RE REALLY RARELY EVER WILLING TO GET IN A ROOM TOGETHER. AND EVEN TALKING THIS OUT. I THINK THAT'S LIKE THE FIRST PROBLEM IS THAT WE NEED TO LIKE, KIND OF GET ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT AND SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT LIKE OUR STRATEGY. SO I DO THINK THAT WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY. THIS IS A COGNITIVE REVOLUTION. AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO BASICALLY TAKE THE LANGUAGE FROM DOOMSDAY DOWN A NOTCH. I THINK THAT THE WAY WE TALK ABOUT AI IN SILICON VALLEY IS REALLY BAD. WE USE WORDS LIKE SUPERINTELLIGENCE. SUPERINTELLIGENCE SOUNDS LIKE AN ALIEN SPECIES. THE AVERAGE PERSON DOES NOT WANT AN ALIEN SPECIES SMARTER THAN THEM. I THINK THE AVERAGE PERSON FEELS LIKE AI IS HAPPENING TO THEM, NOT FOR THEM. THERE'S VERY FEW CONSUMER APPLICATIONS IN AI THAT ARE ACTUALLY IMPROVING PEOPLE'S LIVES. MOST AI IS ENTERPRISE. PEOPLE HEAR THAT AS JOB AUTOMATION. YOU KNOW, IT IS WE LIKE THE ANTI AI IS UNFORTUNATELY BECOMING A BIPARTISAN ISSUE. YOU WOULD IMAGINE ALL THESE RED STATES WOULD PROBABLY WANT DATA CENTERS WHO CREATE A LOT OF JOBS LIKE ELECTRICIANS. BUT THE PUBLIC IS AFRAID. AND THE REASON WHY IS NOT JUST THE RHETORIC, BUT THERE IS A MASSIVE DIVIDE BETWEEN SILICON VALLEY, WHICH IS A GIANT BUBBLE. AND WE ARE IN SUCH A BIG BUBBLE THAT WE DON'T EVEN REALIZE IT'S A BUBBLE. AND ALL OF SOCIETY. AND I THINK WE IN SILICON VALLEY, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT HUMANITY AND LIKE THIS ABSTRACT, BUT WE DON'T TALK ABOUT PEOPLE. >> WE TALK ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP'S EFFORTS TO GET SILICON VALLEY ON THE SAME PAGE DURING THAT WHITE HOUSE MEETING THIS WEEK. AND CHESKY SAYS HE STILL NEEDS MORE DETAILS. >> THE STAKES ARE HIGH ENOUGH THAT I JUST THINK EVERYONE NEEDS TO COME AT THE TABLE AND HAVE MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS. AND I THINK THE REAL WORK IS NOT HAPPENING IN FRONT OF A BUNCH OF PHOTOGRAPHERS AT THE WHITE HOUSE. THE REAL WORK IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, RESEARCHERS WORKING WITH THE CEOS TO REALLY THINK ABOUT LIKE, WHAT ARE THE RISKS? AND I THINK THAT MAYBE THE SIMPLE WAY TO DO THIS