Airbnb using AI to help clamp down on New Year’s Eve parties
As communities worldwide prepare to welcome 2024, Airbnb is implementing restrictions on specific bookings during New Year’s Eve to minimize the risk of unauthorized and disruptive parties in local neighborhoods. The company will use artificial intelligence-powered technology to enforce these measures.
In Puerto Rico, about 780 guests were blocked or redirected when trying to book on Airbnb for New Year’s Eve, the company confirmed.
The platform’s proprietary AI and machine learning technology will be used in several countries and regions. This system aims to identify one-, two- and three-night booking attempts for entire home listings during the holiday weekend that pose a higher risk for disruptive and unauthorized parties, blocking such bookings.
The technology assesses various factors indicating a booking might be high-risk, such as the trip’s duration, the listing’s distance from the guest’s location, the type of listing and whether the reservation is last-minute.
“When it comes to how we use technology like AI, we’re focused on taking a thoughtful approach that aims to benefit Hosts, guests and neighborhoods. We’re optimistic these measures will help have a positive impact for the communities we serve,” said Naba Banerjee, head of Trust and Safety at Airbnb.
The measures will be implemented in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico), Canada, the UK, France, Spain, Australia and New Zealand, and include:
- Restrictions on reservations: Airbnb’s technology will block certain one- to three-night entire home bookings identified as higher-risk for parties.
- Mandatory anti-party attestation: Guests making local reservations must attest they understand Airbnb’s party ban and face suspension or removal from the platform for violations.
Last New Year’s Eve, Airbnb’s anti-party measures blocked thousands from booking entire home listings, including approximately 63,550 in the United States, 13,200 in the UK and 5,400 in Australia.
Since first introducing party prevention measures in 2020, Airbnb has “seen a meaningful reduction in the rate of party reports to us over this holiday.”
