During this festive season, Airbnb is set to once again utilize artificial intelligence to predict which reservations could lead to unauthorized New Year’s Eve gatherings, thereby reducing the likelihood of “unauthorized and destructive parties in local communities.”
The AI approach, known for its keen observation, has been adopted by the United States (including Puerto Rico), Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand. For the rest of the world, Airbnb’s global ban policy remains in effect without the assistance of AI.
Factors such as the duration of the reservation, proximity of the listing to the guests’ location, the type of listing booked, last-minute bookings, and numerous other indicators are considered among the “hundreds of signals” that may indicate the planning of an illicit gathering, as outlined in a blog post by Airbnb.
Naba Banerjee, the Head of Trust and Safety at Airbnb, emphasized in the blog post the company’s strategic and conscientious approach to leveraging technologies like AI to benefit hosts, guests, and neighborhoods.
The initiative includes the capability to suspend or expel guests who breach the regulations.
For the past four years, Airbnb has been enforcing anti-party measures specifically for New Year’s Eve. Last year alone, the platform blocked 5,400 reservations in Australia, 13,200 in the United Kingdom, and 63,550 in the United States to prevent unauthorized gatherings.
Additionally, Airbnb equips hosts with Minut sound devices to deter impromptu guest gatherings throughout the year.
Banerjee expressed confidence that these proactive measures will yield positive outcomes for the communities Airbnb serves.
