LOS ANGELES—With New Year’s Eve just two weeks away, Airbnb on Dec. 18 announced it will implement AI technology to help reduce the risk of unauthorized and disruptive parties around world, including in Los Angeles.
According to the company, the technology will help enforce restrictions on certain New Year’s Eve bookings in several countries and regions, such as the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand. Last year, Airbnb implemented anti-party measures which resulted in a decrease of thousands of party reports over the holiday.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ office and Council President Paul Krekorian’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the announcement.
Airbnb said the goal of the system is to try to identify one, two, and three night booking attempts for entire home listings over the holiday weekend that could be potentially higher-risk for a disruptive and unauthorized party incident and block those bookings from being made.
The technology will look at hundreds of signals such as the duration of the trip the guest is trying to book, how far the listing is from the guests’ location, the type of listing they’re booking, and if the reservation is being made at the last-minute, among other criteria.
“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,” Naba Banerjee, head of trust and safety at Airbnb, said in a statement.
Ms. Banerjee added, “We’re optimistic these measures will help a positive impact for the communities we serve.”
The company will also make it a requirement for local guests to attest they understand the company’s policy banning parties.
If guests break the rules, they may face suspension or removal from the platform.
Airbnb implemented anti-party measures last New Year’s Eve, which resulted in thousands of people globally being blocked from booking on their platform. Almost 63.5 million people in the U.S., 13.2 million in the United Kingdom, and 5,400 in Australia.
The company first introduced party prevention measures in 2020, and over the years party reports continue to decline.
Airbnb’s global party ban includes a reservation screening year round, a free noise sensor technology for hosts, a Neighborhood Support Line where local community members can report urgent issues, a 24-hour Safety Line for hosts and guests to directly reach a safety team, and they also offer tips for hosts to prevent parties in their listings.
