Airbnb will use AI to identify unauthorized New Year's Eve parties and ban violators from the platform

Airbnb will use artificial intelligence to tackle unauthorized New Year's Eve parties and ban violators from the platform.

That means hosts like Mariah Carey — who famously hosted an Airbnb near Times Square in 2020 — and partygoers looking for a place to celebrate the holidays can continue to party at home.

The AI ​​technology will be used restrict certain New Year's Eve bookings in seven countries including the US, UK, Canada And France. Last year, 63,000 Americans were banned from New Year's Eve rentals on suspicion of hosting a large party.

“When it comes to how we use technology like AI, we focus on taking a thoughtful approach that benefits hosts, guests and neighborhoods,” said Naba Banerjee, head of trust and safety at Airbnb.

“We are optimistic that these measures will have a positive impact on the communities we serve,” Banerjee added.

The move represents a new measure to prevent disruptive and unauthorized parties after the booking website saw thousands of people blocked from booking full property deals last New Year's Eve.

The system identifies one-, two- and three-night booking attempts for entire properties during the holiday weekend to enforce the company's anti-party measures

Airbnb's AI system identifies one-, two- and three-night booking attempts for entire properties during the holiday weekend to enforce the company's anti-party measures.

The technology analyzes hundreds of factors, including how long the guest plans to stay, how far the property is from their location, the type of accommodation they book and whether the reservation is made at the last minute.

The platform activates AI and machine learning technology to analyze hundreds of signals and block bookings identified as “potentially higher risk of a party incident,” according to a company statement.

About 13,200 guests were blocked from bookings in Britain and 5,400 in Australia last year, according to the company's booking data.

In addition to AI technologies, the company has also deployed other measures to enforce the “global party ban” on New Year's Eve, including reservation screening, sound sensors for hosts, a neighborhood support line and a 24-hour security line.

The company didn't seem too concerned about disruptive parties and the risk of spreading the virus when it set up a geodesic dome in New York's Times Square for New Year's Eve.

Mariah Carey, who performed in Times Square on December 31 in previous years, personally greeted the lucky guests in the transparent dome

The booking platform introduced its party ban in August 2020, as the pandemic drew partygoers from bars and restaurants to rental properties.

However, in early 2020, the company didn't seem too concerned about disruptive parties and the risk of spreading the virus when it set up a geodesic dome in New York's Times Square for New Year's Eve.

The trendy geodesic dome, complete with a huge bed, on the high terrace of the Nasdaq stock index was set up so that guests could enjoy the panoramic view of the New Year's Eve ball and confetti celebrations.

Carey, who has performed in Times Square on December 31 in recent years, personally greeted the (almost) lucky guests in the transparent dome.

Airbnb said: “With Times Square celebrations taking place virtually this year, guests will have a truly unique experience during the traditional confetti celebrations directly below the ball.

“Life in New York City in 2020 was defined by the resilience and sacrifices of frontline workers – and people around the world were inspired by the courage and contributions of these everyday heroes.

“Nasdaq and Airbnb recognize that the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the way people plan future activities and are closely monitoring guidance from local government and health officials,” the company said at the time.

But when the company saw more guests throwing unauthorized parties at properties they booked through Airbnb, the company decided to codify the party ban as policy last year.

“We focus on deterring the very rare cases of hosts who fail to act responsibly, or guests who attempt to throw unauthorized parties,” the company said.

The booking platform introduced the party ban in August 2020, as the pandemic drew partygoers from bars and restaurants to rental properties

Last year, more than 63,000 people in the US were banned from booking an entire home listing through Airbnb on New Year's Eve

The company also stated that guests who violate the rules could face serious consequences, “ranging from account suspension to complete removal from the platform.”

As Airbnb embraces AI to further tackle New Year's Eve parties, public reaction has been mixed.

“When you're spending that much money, it seems kind of unfair to have rules and regulations, especially when they start profiling people to decide who can come and who can't,” Ken Kyles said. CBS8.

'Which algorithm, which AI, which parameters do they use?' asked Jordan Germinaro, who lives in San Diego, California.

'Who will soon be rejected when renting, and whether it is only for parties, or whether they can use 'parties' as an excuse to discriminate against certain guests?' he asked.

Rian Chandler-Dovis said she is divided on the issue because she knew the policy “could take business away from Airbnb hosts if the platform blocks potential guests.”

“But I understand it and I live in a residential area where sometimes people come in and have parties, and it's really not fun when you're raising kids and they have to go to school the next day,” she said.