Tech executives have spent recent years warning workers that AI will threaten every job, from computer programming and customer service to law and finance. But according to Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb, the biggest risk for professionals is not the technology itself: it refuses to evolve with it. And according to him, there are two types of employees who “will not survive in the AI era”.
“The two types of people who will not move to AI are pure people managers and people who are rigid and unwilling to change and evolve,” Chesky said on the website. Invest like the best podcast earlier this year.
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei previously warned that AI could disrupt half of entry-level white-collar work (although his tone has changed this year), and Microsoft AI chief Mustafa Suleyman has proposed an even more aggressive timeline, estimating that most professional jobs could be replaced within 12 to 18 months.
But Chesky presented a more optimistic view of the future, making it clear that adaptation is the key to success.
Chesky explained that as AI transforms business structures and the way employees do their jobs, bosses must adapt to the new era. He particularly criticized personnel managers: from now on, every line manager will have to be a “hybrid personnel manager” or an “IC manager” (individual contributor) to succeed. This means that bosses will need to take a more technical approach and maintain a connection to the end product, rather than focusing solely on team leadership. They must actually engage in the “context” of the work to keep their job.
“I don’t think people managers will have any value in the future. When I talk about people managers, (I mean) people who just manage people,” Chesky continued. “You can’t just be managers where you’re therapists of people, and you just do meetings, you do one-on-ones. »
The Airbnb CEO cited former Apple design director Jony Ive as a prime example; the British executive struck the right balance between product design and team leadership. Chesky said it’s good to build relationships with staff: do routine check-ins and go out to dinner with direct reports. But now, simply supervising people is no longer enough: it’s all about managing employees throughout their work.
And any rank-and-file worker who believes he can escape new technology won’t have it any easier in the AI era, Chesky predicted. Fortunately, the CEO said, it’s incredibly easy to master the tools and stay current, as long as professionals have a “growth mindset.” And that sentiment echoes many tech leaders telling anxious workers that chatbots and AI agents won’t take their jobs, but someone who leverages the software will.
CEOs who say tech-savvy workers will thrive in the AI era
This isn’t the first time Chesky and other technology leaders have highlighted the importance of adapting to an AI-driven world.
Airbnb’s CEO says AI has been instrumental in the success of his $103 billion short-term rental company. And the billionaire founder tells other business leaders that technology isn’t just a nice-to-have: It’s a necessity for success.
“From a business perspective, I think AI is the best thing that ever happened to Airbnb,” Chesky said. CNBC in an interview earlier this year.
“Founder-led companies and those that are ready to change and transform are the ones that will benefit from AI, because AI means everyone changes,” he continued. “And if you don’t change, you’re going to be disrupted.”
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has also popularized the idea that AI won’t be the one taking roles away from humans, but rather tech-savvy talent will take over the jobs. Echoing Chesky, the leader of the $5.23 trillion GPU giant said that as AI spreads to every sector of every industry, no worker will be exempt from keeping up with the evolving tools. It could even be the difference between keeping a steady position and getting the boot.
“Every job will be affected, and immediately. That’s indisputable,” Huang said at the Milken Institute’s global conference in 2025. “You’re not going to lose your job to an AI, but you’re going to lose your job to someone using AI.”
“I would 100% recommend that everyone take advantage of AI,” Jensen advised. “Don’t be that person who ignores this technology and loses their job as a result.”
Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of streaming empire Netflix, also admitted that technology would impact entertainment jobs. But like Huang, he doesn’t believe the tools will take over the call list. Instead, creatives who rely on AI will be better off than those who don’t in a fiercely competitive industry.
“I don’t believe that an AI program can write a better script than a great screenwriter, or that it can replace a great performance,” Sarandos said. The New York Times in 2024. “AI won’t take your job. The person who uses AI well might take your job.”
A version of this story was published on Fortune.com on May 7, 2026.
Gn bussni
