Every summer, Airbnb releases a massive update with plenty of features for hosts and lots of changes for guests. This time, however, the business is launching a new category called icons—experiences presented by well-known figures in music, movies, television, and sports—as well as a few changes for group reservations.
The group booking capabilities let users create shared wishlists, a group communications page with the host, and trip invitations for the group with property specifics. These features are likely the only updates that will be available to all users.
Now, users may use links or contacts on their phone to invite friends and family to a wishlist. Members of the group can vote on properties to choose which should be booked, add properties to a list, or write remarks on properties.
The principal member is required to send out postcards inviting visitors to rebook the property with them. In addition, the invitation card contains information on the address, check-in procedures, and Wi-Fi passwords.
Additionally, Airbnb is launching a new message page where guests may communicate with hosts and respond to messages. In response to inquiries, hosts can utilize AI-powered recommendations to provide the visitors with the property’s checkout instructions.
Co-founder and chief strategy officer Nathan Blecharczyk stated that the firm developed group features because over 80% of trips on the platform involve multiple people. In addition, there is a lot of back and forth when it comes to making decisions amongst the group members.
In addition to group features, Airbnb is launching an experience category called Icons that includes homes like the X-Men house, the Ferrari Museum, Prince’s Purple Rain House, and living room sessions with Doja Cat. The hosts will also have access to a new earnings dashboard. Users will have to apply in order to participate in these limited-edition experiences. Four thousand guests will be welcomed by Airbnb throughout 11 encounters.
Airbnb’s Use Of AI
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said that the business is exploring generative AI-powered review summaries in a chat with TechCrunch last November. Airbnb hasn’t released any information on this publicly, but Blecharczyk told TechCrunch that the company intends to utilize AI in customer service, among other areas.
“We are utilizing AI more and more to automate the resolution of customer support tickets with responses generated by AI, ensuring that customers are connected to the appropriate agents,” Blecharczyk stated.
The co-founder of Airbnb pointed out that while the company has been testing AI-powered replies in limited production, they are only useful in specific contexts.
“I believe that using AI in business has a lot of potential. Blecharczyk stated, “We consider a great deal how AI will impact the consumer experience in the future, without delving into details about the company’s plan.
“We sit atop a tonne of customer service data and have a ton of reviews.” Therefore, we are considering how we may apply AI to provide a more concise and accurate depiction of a listing and its contents.
Adam Cheyer, a co-founder of Siri, founded a secret firm called Gameplanner, which was acquired by Airbnb in November 2023. Chesky stated earlier this year that the travel platform intended to develop a “ultimate concierge” and that the acquisition of Gameplanner was a part of that strategy. Answering consumer inquiries with AI-powered responses is most likely the first step in that direction.