Airbnb is using AI to block New Year’s Eve party bookings

Christmas is over, meaning it's now time to really start considering what you're going to do for New Year's Eve.

A weekend away and a party with a whole bunch of your friends is definitely one of the most enticing options - but throwing a rager at an Airbnb property might not be on the cards, if AI has anything to do with it.

That's because Airbnb is using AI to clamp down on potentially disruptive or unauthorized New Year's Eve parties.

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Back in 2020, the booking platform first brought in a temporary ban on parties - and it was so popular with hosts that Airbnb later made it permanent.

And this year won't be the first time it's used anti-party measures around NYE - the company revealed around 13,200 people were blocked from booking on the site in the UK for that time last year.

Now, Airbnb has said it's using AI and machine learning tech in the UK and several other countries, analyzing hundreds of signals that could suggests a booking is a higher risk for throwing a party.

So what might indicate that you're a potential rule-breaker and are planning a NYE party?

Signs apparently include the duration of a stay, how far the listing is from a user’s location, the type of listing and if the booking is being made at the last minute.

Airbnb said the enhanced restrictions would block certain one to three night reservations for entire homes if it was identified by its systems as being potentially higher risk for a party incident.

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And the ramifications are pretty big, particularly if you regularly use the platform.

Guests making local reservations will be required to confirm they understand that Airbnb bans parties before booking and that breaching this rule could mean suspension or removal from the platform.

Naba Banerjee, head of trust and safety at Airbnb, said: “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.

“We’re optimistic these measures will help have a positive impact on the communities we serve.”

The firm said that since first introducing party prevention measures for New Year’s Eve in 2020, it had seen a 73% reduction in the rate of party reports made to them in the UK.

So if you are planning a get together with all your friends, it looks like you might want to host at home - or risk losing your Airbnb privileges for good.