Party Pooper: Airbnb Taps AI to Block Unauthorized New Year's Eve Parties

Talk about being a party pooper.

Holiday rental platform Airbnb is set to use AI yet again this holiday season to predict which bookings will lead to illicit New Year’s Eve parties and reduce the risk of “unauthorized and disruptive parties in local neighborhoods.”

The eagle-eyed AI system will take effect in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico), Canada, the U.K., France, Spain, Australia and New Zealand. The rest of the world is covered by Airbnb’s global party ban, sans AI.

In a blog post, Airbnb said the AI system looks for "hundreds of signals" that mean an unlawful party may be in the works: the duration of the trip, how far the listing is from the guests’ location, the type of listing they are booking and if the reservation is being made at the last minute, among others.

“When it comes to how we use technology like AI, we are focused on taking a thoughtful approach that aims to benefit hosts, guests and neighborhoods," said Naba Banerjee, head of trust and safety at Airbnb, in the blog post.

Guests who break the rules face suspension or removal from the platform.

This is Airbnb’s fourth year of anti-party measures for New Year's Eve. Last year, the site blocked 63,550 bookings in the U.S., 13,200 in the U.K. and 5,400 in Australia.

To combat unwanted guest parties all year round, Airbnb gifts hosts with a noise sensor from Minut.

“We’re optimistic these measures will help have a positive impact for the communities we serve,” Banerjee added.