Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky has expressed his ambition to use AI to create a "travel concierge" that learns and adapts to travelers. The acquisition of Gameplanner, a 12-person startup with expertise in AI and design, is seen as a significant step towards realizing this vision.
Key takeaways:
- Airbnb has acquired AI startup Gameplanner.AI for an estimated $200 million, marking its first acquisition since 2019 and its first as a public company.
- Gameplanner was co-founded by Adam Cheyer, who helped to co-launch Siri, and Siamak Hodjat, who previously worked with Cheyer at Viv Labs, a firm that Samsung bought to launch its AI assistant, Bixby.
- While it's not clear what Gameplanner does, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky hinted that the startup combines AI and design to craft AI-driven experiences, and will focus on accelerating select AI projects and integrating their tooling into Airbnb’s platform.
- Chesky has previously expressed his ambition to use AI to build a "travel concierge" that learns about and adapts to travelers, and this acquisition seems to be a step towards realizing that vision.