Airbnb, a global leader in the hospitality industry, revealed on Tuesday its strategic move into the realm of artificial intelligence (AI) with the acquisition of GamePlanner.AI, a cutting-edge startup founded by industry veterans Adam Cheyer and Siamak Hodjat. The undisclosed transaction, reported to be valued at just under $200 million according to CNBC sources, marks Airbnb’s commitment to staying ahead in the tech revolution reshaping the business landscape.
The 12-person strong team is set to bolster Airbnb’s existing AI endeavors, particularly focusing on projects that enhance user interfaces and practical applications of AI within the platform.
According to Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky, what sets GamePlanner.AI apart is its unique combination of expertise in AI, design, and community, aligning with Airbnb’s commitment to utilizing AI in a manner that positively augments humanity. Chesky expressed his belief in the potential of developing top-notch interfaces and practical AI applications with GamePlanner.AI’s team on board.
“AI will rapidly alter our world more than any other technology in our lifetime,” Chesky stated, emphasizing the transformative power of AI. He underlined the importance of ensuring that AI contributes positively to human experiences. With a vision to make Airbnb a frontrunner in humanistic technology, Chesky sees GamePlanner.AI as an essential partner in achieving this goal.
While Airbnb has been incorporating AI across its services, including large language models, computer vision models, and machine learning, the acquisition of GamePlanner.AI signals a focused effort to accelerate select AI projects and integrate the newly acquired tools into the Airbnb platform. Notably, Airbnb recently unveiled an AI-powered Photo Tour tool as part of its 2023 Winter Release.
Adam Cheyer, co-founder and CEO of GamePlanner.AI, brings a wealth of experience to the table, having co-founded Siri, which was later acquired by Apple. Cheyer played a pivotal role in leading server-side engineering and AI for Siri, working closely with the late Steve Jobs. He also co-founded Viv Labs, acquired by Samsung, now recognized as the company’s voice assistant Bixby. In addition, Adam Cheyer was part of the founding team of Change.org, the world’s largest petition platform.
Siamak Hodjat, GamePlanner.AI’s co-founder, boasts a strong background in AI, having led the natural language processing team for Siri at Apple. He further contributed to the AI landscape by leading the largest engineering team for Viv Labs at Samsung. Hodjat’s expertise positions GamePlanner.AI as a valuable asset for Airbnb’s AI-driven initiatives.
Cheyer expressed mutual enthusiasm for the GamePlanner.AI acquisition by Airbnb, citing a shared commitment to using AI to foster human connection. Emphasizing the significance of great design and community-based intelligence in unlocking the full potential of AI, Cheyer believes that, with Airbnb’s team, the possibilities for leveraging AI to enhance user experiences are limitless.
The GamePlanner.AI acquisition by Airbnb not only marks a significant step in Airbnb’s technological evolution but also underscores the company’s dedication to harnessing AI for the greater good, ensuring that advancements in technology contribute positively to the human experience.
The revelation of the acquisition of GamePlanner.AI by Airbnb has triggered a surge in Airbnb’s stock prices today. Following the closure of Monday’s trading session at $119.15, the stock opened Tuesday morning at an increased value of $122.36 and is presently trading at $126.24, reflecting investor optimism and confidence in the strategic move towards bolstering the company’s technological capabilities through this acquisition.
