Airbnb (ABNB 0.75%) could be the newest AI stock. The home-sharing leader said last week that it had acquired GamePlanner.AI, a stealth 12-person AI company led by Adam Cheyer, one of the founders of Siri. As a "stealth" company, GamePlanner.AI has generally avoided public scrutiny, developing its technology in private. The deal was valued at just under $200 million, according to CNBC, and marks Airbnb's first acquisition as a public company.
The move is also a significant step in CEO Brian Chesky's vision to be a comprehensive "travel concierge," going beyond bookings and experiences to actually guide travelers and give personalized advice. Before the acquisition, he described the concierge as a tool that would get to know your preferences and interests to give you more personalized service and recommendations.
In a statement, Chesky said, "AI will rapidly alter our world more than any other technology in our lifetime, but we need to ensure that it augments humanity in a positive way." He added: "Airbnb is one of the more humanistic companies in technology, and I believe that, together with Adam and his team, we can develop some of the best interfaces and practical applications for AI."
Image source: Airbnb.
Will GamePlanner.AI be a game-changer?
Airbnb has had a tumultuous time as a publicly traded company. While the business has performed well during the pandemic and coming out of it, the company continues to court controversy, and the stock has been volatile.
Airbnb's brand has repeatedly been dragged on social media as detractors complain about cleaning fees, chore lists, and other unwelcome surprises, insisting that hotels are a better option. The company also continues to face regulatory red tape as such places like New York essentially banned short-term rentals earlier this fall.
While those concerns aren't a red flag, they do warrant attention, but the acquisition of GamePlanner.AI is a reminder of what makes Airbnb special in the first place. Unlike hotel chains or online travel agency competitors like Booking Holdings and Expedia, Airbnb offers individualized inventory and can cater to specific tastes to a degree that hotels can't.
Airbnb also has much more differentiation on its platform, which could make an AI search tool that can communicate like ChatGPT highly valuable. For example, going beyond search filters and directing an AI chatbot to find some Airbnbs that have five or six of the qualities you are looking for in a given place would be useful.
Similarly, if you enjoyed one trip, the AI travel concierge could also offer similar ideas for your next vacation, complete with ideas for activities, meals, and other ways to spend your day.
What's next for Airbnb
It's unclear when we'll see Airbnb first deploy the new AI technology and offer a travel concierge, but it could be sooner than you think. The company has been aggressively rolling out twice-a-year updates to its platform, tackling key pain points and making other improvements.
For example, it revamped the way it shows prices to make the full price guests will pay visible up front, after complaints that cleaning fees were hidden. Earlier this month, it released its winter update, including a redesigned review and ratings page that helps guests better understand the home, and an AI-powered photo tour that organizes photos by rooms and helps guests understand the layout of the space.
Airbnb is already in a strong position, coming off its third-quarter earnings report. Revenue rose 18% in the quarter to $3.4 billion, with adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) up 26% to $1.8 billion.
Despite the challenges, the company continues to deliver solid growth on the top and bottom lines, and it's expanding its supply of listings as well, paving the path to continued growth.
An AI concierge could unlock the next leg of growth for Airbnb, encouraging increased usage and longer stays, expanding its addressable market, and allowing the company to gain more market share in the travel industry.
