Ahmad
Al-Dahle
CTO, Airbnb. Previously: architect of Llama at Meta, Apple Autonomous Technology Group.
Technology should bring people closer — to experiences, to each other, to the world. That's not a mission statement. It's the reason I build anything at all.
For sixteen years at Apple, I worked on the systems that would become autonomous AI — research that started when the iPhone didn't exist yet. At Meta, I led the team that built Llama, the most-deployed open-source AI in history: over a billion downloads, sixty thousand derivative models, running on hardware from data centers to laptops to phones.
In January 2026, I joined Airbnb as CTO — leading engineering, data science, and AI. Not because it was the obvious next move. Because it was the right one.
- From AI Breakthroughs to Everyday Use
- AI-Driven Search & Support
- Building Llama 3 — with Alex Kantrowitz
- Announcing Meta's Early GenAI Initiatives
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Brian Chesky, Airbnb CEO
"Ahmad highly values design and believes technology should serve people, not the other way around. Engineering should be a true strategic partner in everything we do."
On Ahmad joining Airbnb, January 2026 -
Llama Impact
Over one billion downloads. More than sixty thousand derivative models. The most-deployed open-source AI model in history — running in data centers, on laptops, and on phones worldwide.
Leading technology at Airbnb — engineering, data science, and AI — with the belief that the best AI gets people out of the house.
I grew up in Winnipeg, got into computers playing video games in the cold. Joined Apple in 2005 — two years before the iPhone launched. I have twin daughters and met my wife at an Airbnb.