Airbnb has bought GamePlanner.AI, A firm with a secret name consisting of 12 persons led by Adam Cheyer (co-founder of Siri) and Siamak Hodjat. According to CNBC, it cost Airbnb under $200 million, but here is a fun thing that is not confirmed either.
Adam Cheyer and Siamak Hodjat are the co-founders of GamePlanner. Adam Cheyer is well-known for helping co-launch Siri, which Apple later bought and is used in Apple’s AI-powered Siri assistant. Hodjat and Cheyer have also worked together at Viv Labs, A company Samsung later purchased and used to make its own AI-assistant Bixby in 2017.
Airbnb already uses AI across its services, such as large language models, computer vision models, and machine learning, and most recently, an AI-powered Photo Tour tool also launched in the 2023 Winter Release. Some time ago, Brian clarified that he wanted to use generative AI to build a “travel concierge” that learns about tourists and changes based on their needs. GamePlanner is Airbnb’s first purchase since 2019 and its first as a public company. So, he’s serious about making that dream come true.
In a statement, Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky suggested that the 12-person startup uses AI and design knowledge to create AI-driven experiences, similar to an AI-focused consulting firm. It is said that they plan to use generative AI for planning tours.
Airbnb reported, “Adam and Siamak’s team will focus on accelerating select AI projects and integrating their tools into our platform.” Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky said, “What makes GamePlanner.AI so special is that they combine expertise in AI, design, and community,” he also stated that “AI will change our world faster than any other technology in our lifetime, but we must ensure that it augments humanity positively. Airbnb is one of the more humanistic technology firms, and I believe that working with Adam and his team, we can create some of the best interfaces and practical applications for AI.”
Adam Cheyer, co-founder and CEO of GamePlanner.AI, said, “A big part of what attracted us to Airbnb was our shared commitment to using AI to enable human connection,” further adding, “Like Brian, I believe that AI can only achieve a fraction of its potential without a great design and community-based intelligence. But with them, the sky is the limit. No one understands this better than the Airbnb team.”
