Airbnb to Utilize AI and GamePlanner Acquisition for the Creation of ‘Ultimate Concierge’

In November, Airbnb acquired a stealth AI firm launched by the co-founder of Siri, GamePlanner.AI. This secretive startup was reportedly valued around $200 million at the time of the deal. While Airbnb did not initially disclose its plans for GamePlanner, CEO Brian Chesky recently shared a high-level overview of Airbnb’s larger AI strategy, expressing an intention to excel in the “application layer” of AI and to create one of the “most innovative AI interfaces.”

Despite the hyperbolic language, Chesky explained that Airbnb does not see itself as an AI infrastructure company. Instead of building its own large language models, the company plans to use AI technologies from other sources like OpenAI, Meta, and Google. Airbnb believes it can use these resources to create a novel interface for modern AI models, a goal the acquisition of GamePlanner could help to achieve.

Chesky noted to investors during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call that even though these AI models are powerful, their interfaces are antiquated and resemble those from the 2000s. Rather than fully utilizing the power of these models, most apps mimic a traditional web interface. By this logic, he believes current models are significantly underutilized. Chesky likens the current state of AI to an ultimate platform shift, similar to the advent of generative AI – indicating that much of its potential is still untapped.

According to Chesky, just as the rise of mobile technology boosted Airbnb’s business following the internet’s creation, AI has the potential to create another shift. He sees this shift as not just technological, but a change in power dynamics and in behavior, leading him to declare this a “zero-zero ballgame.”

Airbnb is set to utilize AI, notably generative AI, to deliver a more tailored user experience, the company’s executive shared with shareholders.

“Consider a mobile application that has an uncanny familiarity with you — it operates like the ultimate personal assistant — a dynamic and ever-adapting interface, unparalleled and unseen before. This transformation will enable us to transition from a mono-segment company to a multi-segment company,” expatiated Chesky.

However, whether Airbnb will be able to realize these high-reaching goals is yet to be determined. Despite the optimistic vision that Chesky presents of an AI-driven transformation of the Airbnb user interface, current AI systems are frequently hard to operate and are known for providing erroneous data through anomalies known as hallucinations. In simpler terms, the AI bot tends to fabricate answers when it is uncertain. If the accuracy of the AI models doesn’t improve significantly, the enhancements Airbnb envisages for application layers could possibly be doomed.

The CEO stopped short of detailing specific AI products and services the company plans to roll out, but assured that more revelations on their AI initiatives will be made later this year.

Airbnb acquired GamePlanner a few months ago, but it wasn’t clear exactly what the secretive startup did, beyond being tied to AI. Notably, GamePlanner was co-founded by AI pioneer Adam Cheyer, who co-founded Siri (which was sold to Apple), and Siamak Hodjat. In a statement released at the time of the acquisition, Airbnb suggested that the GamePlanner team would help to accelerate the company’s AI projects by integrating its tooling into the Airbnb platform.

Airbnb acquires secretive firm launched by Siri co-founder

Airbnb is making progress to get rid of those hated cleaning fees

Discover the pinnacle of WordPress auto blogging technology with AutomationTools.AI. Harnessing the power of cutting-edge AI algorithms, AutomationTools.AI emerges as the foremost solution for effortlessly curating content from RSS feeds directly to your WordPress platform. Say goodbye to manual content curation and hello to seamless automation, as this innovative tool streamlines the process, saving you time and effort. Stay ahead of the curve in content management and elevate your WordPress website with AutomationTools.AI—the ultimate choice for efficient, dynamic, and hassle-free auto blogging. Learn More