Two kinds of workers are at risk in the AI era, says Airbnb’s CEO
Managers who only manage people, and workers who resist change, will fall behind, warns Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky.
Artificial intelligence is changing the workplace fast, and workers who fail to keep up risk falling behind, warns Brian Chesky, co-founder and chief executive of Airbnb.
Who is at risk
According to Chesky, two kinds of workers will struggle most in the AI era:
- Pure people managers: those whose work is limited to running teams, meetings and one-to-ones.
- People who resist change: those unwilling to learn new technology or adapt.
‘I don’t think being a pure people manager is going to be very valuable in the future,’ he said. ‘Just running meetings, doing one-on-ones or giving emotional support won’t be enough.’
What tomorrow’s manager looks like
Chesky says future managers will need to be hybrids: leading teams while staying hands-on with the technical side of the work and understanding exactly how products are built. He points to Jony Ive, Apple’s former chief design officer, who kept close relationships with his team while staying deep in the work himself.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos struck a similar note: AI will not replace a good writer or a great performer, he said, but people who use AI well may take the jobs of those who don’t.
What you can do
- Get hands-on with the AI tools used in your field.
- If you manage people, understand the technical side of your team’s work rather than only supervising.
- Stay open to trying new processes, and treat change as an opportunity, not a threat.
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