With New Year's Eve just two weeks away, Airbnb announced Monday that it will deploy artificial intelligence technology to reduce the risk of unauthorized and disruptive parties around the world, including in San Diego.
The company says the technology will help impose restrictions on certain NYE reservations in several countries and regions, including the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand. Last year, Airbnb introduced anti-party measures that resulted in thousands of fewer party reports on NYE.
According to Airbnb, the purpose of the system is to eliminate one-, two-, and three-night reservation attempts for entire residential listings over the holiday weekend, where the risk of disruptive and unauthorized party incidents can be potentially high. He said the aim is to identify and prevent those reservations from being made.
The technology looks at hundreds of signals, including the travel period a guest is trying to book, how far the listing is from the guest's location, the type of listing they're booking, and whether a reservation has been made. Among other criteria, it's last minute.
Nava Banerjee, Airbnb's head of trust and safety, said in a statement: “How we use technology such as AI is thoughtful and designed to benefit hosts, guests, and neighbors. We're focused on taking that approach.”
Banerjee added: “We are optimistic that these measures will have a positive impact on the communities we serve.”
The company announced it will block home-wide reservations for specific one- to three-night stays if it is determined that there may be a high risk to the party. It will also require local guests to prove they understand the company's policy banning parties.
If a guest violates the rules, they may face suspension or expulsion from the platform.
Airbnb introduced anti-party measures in New York last year, resulting in thousands of people around the world being blocked from booking on its platform. There are approximately 63.5 million people in the United States, 13.2 million in the United Kingdom, and 5,400 in Australia.
The company first introduced party prevention measures in 2020, but reports of parties have continued to decline over the years.
Airbnb's global party ban includes year-round booking screening, free noise sensor technology for hosts, a Neighborhood Support Line for local community members to report urgent issues, and a 24-hour community support line for hosts and guests to contact our safety team directly. Includes a time safety line. We also offer tips for hosts to prevent parties on their listings.
City News Service contributed to this article.
