What skills should we learn in the age of artificial intelligence? The Airbnb manager responds

In the face of economic uncertainty, tight labor market and the ever-increasing expansion of artificial intelligence, many new university graduates are facing a challenge to enter the labor market. Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb, believes that students concerned about their future careers in a world transformed by artificial intelligence should focus on developing skills that will last through any transformation.

Brian Chesky said in an interview with ABC News, “People should study things that interest them and develop skills that they will always need.”

He pointed specifically to the human and cognitive skills that technology cannot replace: “You always have to learn how to solve problems. “You always have to learn to improve your leadership skills… You always have to learn to think critically and be able to communicate.”

Airbnb CEO advice on sustainable skills

Chesky emphasized that while AI is set to revolutionize the way we work, “some things will never change.” “People still want to connect, people still want (social) relationships,” he says. “Leadership will continue to matter.” He defined a good leader or manager as follows: “A good manager communicates well. It has specific goals. And it’s very, very organized.”

Airbnb’s CEO also warned companies not to replace entry-level jobs with artificial intelligence. An analysis by business intelligence firm Revelio Labs shows that entry-level job postings fell by about 35 percent from January 2023 to June 2025.

Chesky said about this: “If no new young people can find a job, you will not have anyone to take strategic and leadership positions in the future.” “So we need to make room for people who are early in their careers, even if AI can do the work of apprentices,” he added.

He noted that AI models “can do a lot of lower-level tasks and entry-level jobs,” but at the same time “have trouble with a lot of new ideas” and “need to be told step-by-step what to do.”

Ultimately, Chesky believes that trying to predict which industries will be safe from AI in the coming years is a futile prediction. He advised that the way to get through any changes caused by AI is to “just keep moving forward.”