Airbnb has appointed Ahmad Al-Dahle as its new technology chief, a move announced by CEO Brian Chesky. Al-Dahle previously led the generative AI division at Meta Platforms, where he faced challenges with the Llama 4 model before the company restructured its AI efforts. His appointment follows the departure of Ari Balogh, who left Airbnb after seven years. Al-Dahle brings extensive experience from his 16 years at Apple, where he worked on special projects and imaging technologies. Chesky expressed enthusiasm about leveraging Al-Dahle’s expertise to enhance Airbnb's AI capabilities, particularly in travel and e-commerce. The company is shifting its focus from being merely a short-term rental service to becoming a broader travel platform. Recent updates to the Airbnb app included new services like catering and personal training, as well as improvements to its AI chatbot. Chesky envisions a future where Airbnb acts as a comprehensive travel concierge, offering support throughout the entire trip. Chesky, who has connections with OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman, has shown interest in integrating ChatGPT into the Airbnb platform, although he noted that the current version isn't robust enough. Al-Dahle's philosophy aligns with Airbnb's goal of using technology to enhance human connections, emphasizing that technology should serve people rather than the other way around.