Airbnb Taps Meta GenAI Head Ahmad Al-Dahle as CTO to Spearhead AI Agent Evolution

Airbnb is moving beyond its roots as a rental app to become a full-fledged AI travel companion. The company announced Wednesday that it's hired Ahmad Al-Dahle, the former head of generative AI at Meta, as its new Chief Technology Officer. This move signals a major strategic pivot for Airbnb as it attempts to integrate deeper personalization into its platform.

Why Airbnb Appointed New CTO Ahmad Al-Dahle

CEO Brian Chesky expressed his excitement during a CNBC interview, stating that the company now has the "opportunity to do AI right for travel." The appointment comes shortly after former CTO Ari Balogh stepped down in December 2025 after a seven-year tenure. Al-Dahle's arrival marks the start of a transformation era under the leadership of a veteran who spent 16 years at Apple before leading Meta's high-stakes AI initiatives.

From Meta's Llama to Airbnb's Concierge

Al-Dahle’s background in large-scale AI deployment is critical for Airbnb’s vision. While at Meta, he managed generative AI units during a period of massive upheaval, including the development of Llama 4. Now at Airbnb, he is tasked with building a "travel concierge" that Chesky envisions as a 24/7 companion that learns from millions of actions and speaks every language. This aligns with recent app updates that added direct messaging and enhanced chatbot capabilities.

Although Chesky is a close associate of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, he has noted that ChatGPT isn't yet robust enough for all of Airbnb's needs. With Al-Dahle at the helm, Airbnb plans to move "up the funnel" to own the entire travel search and planning experience, rather than just the final booking.