Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said that the biggest risk to professionals in the AI era is not the technology itself, but the refusal to evolve. Speaking on the Invest Like The Best podcast, Brian Chesky said “The two types of people who will not make the shift to AI are pure people managers, and people that are rigid and don’t want to change and evolve,”. Explaining that as AI transforms company structures and how employees do their jobs, managers need to adapt to the new era. During the podcast, he specifically called out people managers saying that every higher-up will have to be a “hybrid people manager” or “manager IC” (individual contributor) to succeed.
“I don’t think people managers will have any value in the future. When I mean people managers, [I mean] people that only manage people,” Chesky continued. “You can’t just be these managers where you’re people’s therapists, and you’re just doing meetings, you’re doing one-on-ones.”
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky quoted former Apple chief design officer Jony Ive
During the conversation, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky quoted former Apple chief design officer Jony Ive as an example saying that he struck the right balance between product design and team leadership. Brian Chesky said managers should build strong relationships with their employees through regular check-ins and activities such as having dinner with their team members.
However, he added that simply supervising employees is no longer enough. Managers now need to guide employees through their work and help them perform better.
Chesky also warned that employees who avoid learning new technology may struggle in the AI era. However, he said learning to use these tools is not difficult if people have a “growth mindset” and are willing to learn. His views echo those of several tech leaders who say AI may not necessarily replace workers, but people who know how to use AI tools could have an advantage over those who do not.