Airbnb Appoints Former Meta Generative AI Leader Ahmad Al-Dahle as New Technology Chief
January 14, 2026 — Airbnb has named Ahmad Al-Dahle, previously the head of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) at Meta Platforms, as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). The announcement was made by Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky on Wednesday, signaling a significant strategic hire as the company pushes forward with its ambitious transformation beyond its core short-term rental business.
In an interview with CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin, Chesky expressed enthusiasm about Al-Dahle’s appointment, highlighting Airbnb’s plans to harness AI technology in innovative ways for the travel and e-commerce sectors. “With Ahmad, we are really, really excited because we have an opportunity to do AI right for travel, to do AI right for e-commerce,” Chesky said.
Ahmad Al-Dahle brings with him deep experience in AI development, having led Meta’s older Generative AI unit. He later served as co-head of AI products, overseeing AI initiatives following Meta’s internal restructuring prompted by the lukewarm reception to its Llama 4 model. Meta has recently made high-profile moves to strengthen its AI capabilities, including a $14.3 billion acquisition of Scale AI led by CEO Alexandr Wang.
Al-Dahle’s appointment at Airbnb comes after the departure of former CTO Ari Balogh, who stepped down in December after more than seven years with the company. Balogh joined Airbnb in 2018 following a tenure at Google. His exit marks a leadership change as Airbnb embarks on a broader technology-driven evolution.
Airbnb is actively forging a new identity beyond traditional short-term rental listings. The company revamped its mobile app in May 2025 to include services such as catering and personal training, incorporated direct messaging features, and enhanced its AI chatbot capabilities. Chesky envisions a future where AI serves as a “travel concierge” companion throughout a customer’s entire trip, leveraging vast data to personalize and streamline travel experiences.
“AI is 24/7, speaks every language, can learn from millions and millions of customer actions to help you,” Chesky explained. He also noted ongoing ambitions to integrate advanced AI tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT into the platform, though he acknowledged the technology is still evolving to meet Airbnb’s standards.
Al-Dahle’s background includes 16 years at Apple, where he worked on special projects and imaging and sensing technologies. A graduate of the University of Waterloo in Canada, he is known for combining strategic vision with strong technical expertise and a focus on design and engineering partnership. Chesky praised him for his belief that technology’s highest purpose is to bring people closer together, aligning with Airbnb’s mission to foster human connection through technology.
“He connects big ideas with technical depth, highly values design, and believes engineering should be a true strategic partner in everything we do,” Chesky wrote in a company blog post announcing the hire.
As Airbnb moves forward under Al-Dahle’s technical leadership, the company aims to blend AI innovations with travel and e-commerce services, creating personalized, AI-driven experiences that extend well beyond the traditional vacation rental model.
— Reporting by Samantha Subin, with additional contributions from Jacqueline Corba, CNBC
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