‘Your Voice": radio hosts from opposing viewpoints discuss tariffs, trade and Musk's departure
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Entrepreneur
3 minutes ago
- Entrepreneur
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky: Big AI Changes for App
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky stated in an earnings call that the company is applying AI to reduce customer service interactions by 15%. Airbnb is prioritizing AI, starting with customer service, and making changes that will affect everything from how guests book properties to how hosts make their listings more competitive. In Airbnb's second-quarter earnings report on Wednesday, the vacation rental company reported that it beat expectations for revenue, which grew by 13% from the same period last year to $3.1 billion. CEO Brian Chesky predicted that Airbnb would become "an AI-first application" over the next few years in an earnings call following the report. "I think you can't do travel planning without AI going forward," Chesky said on the call. "We've chosen a very specific way to approach AI." Related: Airbnb's New 'Icons' Cost Less Than $100 Per Night, Including the House from 'Up' and Prince's 'Purple Rain' How Airbnb is using AI On the call, Chesky said that some companies have chosen to incorporate AI into travel planning and inspiration, which he deemed "the lower stakes part of travel." Airbnb, on the other hand, has started with what Chesky called "the hardest problem," which is the task of customer service AI helping with travel plans. "Customer service is the hardest problem because the stakes are high," Chesky explained on the call. He pointed out that users need answers quickly, and the AI has to be accurate when handling tasks like canceling a reservation. To tackle customer service, Chesky said Airbnb created a custom AI agent based on tens of thousands of conversations. It works like this: When users reach out to the AI agent to cancel a reservation, it not only knows how to do it but also taps into specific knowledge about which reservation the user wants to cancel. Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. Photo byfor Airbnb In April, the company quietly started deploying the AI bot in the U.S. in English. Chesky said on Wednesday's call that 15% fewer users need to talk to a human customer service representative after releasing the bot. The company plans to expand the agent to more languages this year and infuse it with advanced features, such as the ability to search and help users plan and book their next trip. For hosts, Airbnb is exploring different ways to display pricing. In May, the company announced a new calendar for hosts with better pricing suggestions to help optimize the competitiveness of their listings. Related: 'I Can't Get Everyone to Move Here': Why Airbnb's CEO Is Sticking With a Once-a-Month Hybrid Schedule Customer service is just one way Airbnb is going to become an AI-first app over the next few years. The company is also going to bring AI to travel search next year, Chesky stated on the call. Airbnb has undergone a number of changes recently. In May, the company announced a revamped app with the option to book "Services" or experiences like massages, personal training, and beauty services. In the same month, Airbnb also introduced group messaging, expanding who can interact with an Airbnb host, and shared wishlists for users to bookmark their favorite rentals together. Airbnb had more than five million hosts and 1.5 billion guest check-ins as of 2024, according to Statista. Join top CEOs, founders and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue and building sustainable success.
Entrepreneur
3 minutes ago
- Entrepreneur
These Are the Hottest Zip Codes for Home Sales: Realtor
rankings measure market demand through unique views per property and the number of days a listing remains active. released its "Hottest ZIP Codes" report for 2025 this week, which highlights "where buyer interest is strongest and homes are flying" — even in this real estate market. The country's top 10 zip codes largely fall within "desirable suburban corridors," according to the report, with Northeast and Midwest communities ranking high on the list. Shoppers (or listing lurkers) from top-earning metro-areas, including Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C., dominated web traffic. Related: Here's How Much You Need to Make Per Year to Buy a Typical Home in the U.S., According to a New Report No. 1 on the list was Beverly, Massachusetts (zip code 01915) with its "coastal charm" and "relative affordability." (Though Beverly's median listing price, $719,000 in June, is more than $250,000 above the national norm, it's still around 16% below the Boston metro average.) The rankings measure market demand through unique views per property and the number of days a listing remains active on According to the report, listings in the high-ranking zip codes had 3.6 times more views and sold 30 to 42 days faster than the U.S. average. Here's a look at the top five hottest zip codes in 2025. Related: Barbara Corcoran Finds a Buyer in One Day for Her $12 Million 'Palace in the Sky' Penthouse 1. Beverly, Massachusetts (01915) Median listing price 2025: $746,000 Days on market: 16 Beverly, Massachusetts | Getty 2. Marlton, New Jersey (08053) Median listing price 2025: $495,000 Days on market: 17 3. Loeminster, Massachusetts (01453) Median listing price 2025: $441,000 Days on market: 18 Leominster is the second-largest city in Worcester County, Massachusetts. Getty stock 4. Ballwin, Missouri (63021) Median listing price 2025: $350,000 Days on market: 22 5. Wayne, New Jersey (07470) Median listing price 2025: $664,000 Days on market: 22 Getty For the full list, visit Join top CEOs, founders and operators at the Level Up conference to unlock strategies for scaling your business, boosting revenue and building sustainable success.
Fast Company
3 minutes ago
- Fast Company
Sources reveal the Trump administration's plans for cutting U.S. drug prices
The Trump administration has been talking to drugmakers about ways to raise prices of medicines in Europe and elsewhere in order to cut drug costs in the United States, according to a White House official and three pharmaceutical industry sources. U.S. officials told drug companies it would support their international negotiations with governments if they adopt 'most favored nation' pricing under which U.S. drug costs match the lower rates offered to other wealthy countries, the White House official said. The U.S. is currently negotiating bilateral trade deals and setting tariff rates on the sector. The Trump administration has asked some companies for ideas on raising prices abroad, two of the sources said, describing multiple meetings over several months aimed at lowering U.S. prices without triggering cuts to research and development spending drugmakers insist would result. The White House official called the effort collaborative, saying both sides were seeking advice from each other. The U.S. pays more for prescription drugs than any other country, often nearly three times as much as other developed nations. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants to narrow this gap to stop Americans from being 'ripped off.' The previously unreported discussions reflect the challenges Trump faces to achieve that goal, and are the backdrop to the letters he sent last week to CEOs of 17 major drugmakers, urging them to cut U.S. prices to match those paid overseas. Unlike in the U.S., where market forces determine drug prices, European governments typically negotiate directly with companies to set prices for their national healthcare systems. Anna Kaltenboeck, a health economist at Verdant Research, said European nations have leverage to drive pricing and are sometimes willing to walk away from purchasing medicines they deem too expensive. Drugmakers generate most of their sales in the U.S. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America — the industry's main lobby group — has always argued that cutting U.S. prices would stifle innovation by lowering R&D spending. PhRMA declined to comment on the private meetings. Kaltenboeck said past studies had shown that drugmakers made enough money in the U.S. to more than fund their entire global R&D spends. 'Prices can come down in the United States without being increased in other countries, and we can still get innovation,' she said. TOP PRIORITY Despite the Trump administration's tariff threats and pressure to move more manufacturing to the U.S., the push to raise European drug prices is its top priority in discussions with industry, according to a senior executive at a European drugmaker, who spoke on condition of anonymity about the confidential meetings. 'This is the key conversation right now with PhRMA and every company getting that message from Pennsylvania Avenue to a point that we are already executing on it,' the executive said, referring to the White House address. The company had already met with European governments on the issue, the executive added. An E.U. Commission spokesperson said it is in regular contact with the pharma industry and pointed to an agreement with the U.S. that should it impose tariffs on pharmaceuticals, they would be capped at 15%. When asked how the administration would support international drug price negotiations, the White House official referred Reuters to Trump's most favored nation executive order from May. That order directed trade officials to pursue trade and legal action against countries keeping drug prices below fair market value. In last week's letters, Trump complained that since the May executive order, most industry proposals had simply shifted blame for high prices or requested policy changes that would result in billions in industry handouts. A second source, a pharmaceutical executive who was not authorized to speak on the matter, said the Trump administration has been continually meeting with representatives of his company and had discussed strategies for raising drug prices internationally. 'There's a big push from the administration to drive up prices outside the U.S.,' the executive said. The executive said the Trump administration had been looking at using trade talks with the UK and EU as leverage, and considered pressuring countries to spend a higher percentage of GDP on new medicines or offering tariff breaks in exchange for higher drug spending. It was understood that the UK deal specifically aims to get the country to ramp up investment in branded medicines over time, the executive said. A spokesperson for the UK government said it would continue to work closely with the U.S. and its own pharmaceutical industry to understand the possible impact of any changes to drug pricing, without commenting on the trade talks. In April, over 30 industry CEOs including those from AstraZeneca, Bayer and Novo Nordisk signed a letter to European Union President Ursula von der Leyen saying Europe needed to rethink its pricing policies. 'It's going to be very difficult for a country that already has the ability to control what it spends to go in the other direction,' Kaltenboeck said, 'and it doesn't make much sense for them politically.'
