Airtasker launches ChatGPT booking for local services

Airtasker has launched a booking service on ChatGPT that lets users complete local service bookings within a single AI conversation.

According to the company, the move makes Airtasker the first local services marketplace in Australia to offer end-to-end booking through ChatGPT. Users can post, browse and assign a task without being sent to a separate app or website.

The service lets people describe a job in plain language, with ChatGPT turning that request into a task listing. The AI can then suggest a budget and help the user choose a Tasker within the same chat.

That differs from many existing marketplace integrations, which use AI to guide customers before directing them back to the provider's platform to complete the transaction. Airtasker has built a remote Model Context Protocol server that covers both sides of its marketplace, including the customer and the worker.

The system supports browsing and posting tasks, viewing offers, accepting an offer with payment held securely, and reviewing a Tasker's public profile. Users must sign in with their Airtasker account to grant access, and can disconnect that access later.

The same infrastructure can also connect Airtasker to AI agents beyond ChatGPT. The company named Claude, Cursor, n8n, Google Antigravity, Grok Bot, OpenClaw and Hermes Agent among the tools that can link to its public endpoint.

How it works

The launch reflects a broader shift in digital services as companies look for ways to turn conversational AI from an information tool into a transaction channel. For Airtasker, the aim is to let users move from describing a real-world need to arranging for someone to complete it without leaving the chat window.

For marketplace operators, a practical challenge has been managing both discovery and execution inside AI tools. Many current services can answer questions or help draft requests, but still rely on a separate website or app for account authentication, pricing, offer review and payment.

Airtasker said its model removes what it called the "blank-page problem" when users start a listing from scratch. Instead of deciding how to frame a task and what price to attach to it, users can describe their needs conversationally and let the system structure the request.

That may be particularly relevant in local services, where jobs often require explanation and buyers may be uncertain about pricing. The assistant can also reduce the back-and-forth involved in switching between a chat interface and a marketplace app, according to the company.

Marketplace focus

Airtasker operates a marketplace that connects people seeking help with workers offering services such as removals, cleaning, trade work and handyperson jobs. It said its community spans more than 10 million people across Australia, the UK and the US, with nearly 40,000 monthly active Taskers.

The company, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, has sought to position itself in a segment where a large share of jobs involve physical work rather than digital delivery. That distinguishes it from many AI use cases, which tend to focus on software, media or customer support.

Tim Fung discussed that point when outlining the launch.

"AI is great at giving people information they need and have details about a topic or situation, and know people are already using AI assistants to write out what they need done and cover off the details - but what it couldn't do is show up in person to fix it for you. That's the gap we've closed, so the conversation ends with the job done rather than a list of links, all without leaving the chat," said Tim Fung, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Airtasker.

Fung also pointed to the types of jobs now being arranged through the service.

"Two-thirds of these tasks are hands-on, local work: removals, handyperson jobs, trades and cleaning. The typical task is also worth 20% more than the marketplace average, suggesting that when people have the right information upfront, they feel more confident investing in getting it done properly," said Fung.

Wider implications

The launch offers a clearer picture of how AI agents may become a new route to market for consumer internet companies. If users begin organising services, purchases and bookings through chat interfaces, companies will need systems that allow those agents to do more than provide recommendations.

For Airtasker, that means exposing parts of its marketplace to outside AI tools while keeping account access and payments tied to the user's existing profile. Secure payment holding remains part of the booking process when an offer is accepted, according to the company.

The service also signals a competitive push to establish a presence inside AI ecosystems before customer behaviour settles. For marketplaces, the question is not only whether AI can attract users, but whether transactions can be completed there without losing control over identity, trust and payment.

Through the AI connection, users can browse tasks, review offers, accept an offer with payment held securely, and view Taskers' public profiles.