The world of AI witnessed a major shakeup upon the hiring of Ahmad Al-Dahle as the new CTO of Airbnb. The event was substantial enough to make OpenAI CEO Sam Altman congratulate Airbnb’s CEO, Brian Chesky, and his team for getting Ahmad on board. If you are wondering why this hiring for Airbnb is such a big deal, join us as we explore why this Indian-origin technology executive is getting so much attention.
Ahmad is credited with spearheading Meta’s generative AI initiatives and the open-sourcing of the Llama models. He has now taken on a new challenge as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Airbnb. Announced by Al-Dahle himself on X (formerly Twitter), the move caps a 20-year career marked by crucial contributions to hardware, AI, and product innovation at some of Silicon Valley’s most influential companies, like Meta and Apple.
With a professional journey now including Airbnb, Al-Dahle is renowned for his expertise in AI infrastructure, machine learning, and core technologies. As a family man, he balances a high-profile career with family life, often sharing glimpses on social media.
Ahmad-Al-Dahle: A glimpse into his early career
Al-Dahle’s professional path began at Apple Inc., where he spent almost 16 years – from approximately 2004 to 2020 – rising through roles in the Imaging and Sensing Technology Group and Special Projects Group. During this time, he contributed to critical inventions, including advancements in autonomous navigation, touch screen technology, and iPhone display systems. His work on patents filed with the USPTO focused on innovative hardware solutions that enhanced user experiences in mobile devices.
Dahle got his education at the University of Waterloo and honed his engineering skills before entering the tech industry. His time at Apple exposed him to high-stakes product development, including assignments in special projects that blended hardware and emerging technologies. This foundation in sensing, imaging, and core tech would later inform his pivot to AI at Meta.
Rise at Meta: Pioneering Generative AI
In 2020, Al-Dahle joined Meta Platforms as Vice President of AI/ML and Core Tech, quickly ascending to lead the company’s generative AI efforts. Reporting to Chief Product Officer Chris Cox, he formed a team in early 2023 to integrate generative AI across Meta’s products, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Under his guidance, Meta’s GenAI organisation developed and open-sourced the Llama family of models, starting with Llama 2 and advancing to Llama 3 and beyond.
The Llama initiative became a cornerstone of open-source AI, amassing over 1.2 billion downloads and spawning more than 60,000 derivatives worldwide. Al-Dahle highlighted Meta’s “bold bet” on open-sourcing, crediting CEO Mark Zuckerberg and the leadership team for enabling a “global wave of open AI innovation.”
His team also advanced Meta AI as an assistant, which was on track to become the world’s most-used by the end of 2024, and launched AI Studio for creators to build custom AIs. Al-Dahle’s expertise extends to AI model training, deployment, and safety, with a long-term vision for achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI).
He has been recognised as one of the top AI leaders in marketing and technology, featured in lists like Ad Age’s 13 AI marketing leaders to know.
New ‘AI’ chapter at Airbnb
Al-Dahle’s transition to Airbnb as CTO, effective immediately, aligns with Airbnb’s push to integrate AI for personalised, real-world connections. Succeeding Ari Balogh (who stepped down in December 2025 after seven years), Al-Dahle will oversee technology strategy as Airbnb invests in generative AI and personalisation for its app and services.
In his announcement, Al-Dahle expressed excitement about applying advancing AI capabilities to “products people love – ones that get them into the world, connecting with real people and places.” He praised Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, a long-time acquaintance, for leading in this space. Industry peers, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, congratulated him, with Altman noting, “I am excited to see what Airbnb CEO Brian and Ahmad build together.”
“I’m often asked about our AI strategy. We believe pairing great design with frontier technology will help us improve the way people experience travel. Excited to build!” wrote Brian Chesky, the CEO of Airbnb.