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Airbnb using AI to stop people from renting homes for parties

On Thursday morning, three people were hurt in a shooting at a house party in a short-term rental, according to the Adams County Sheriff's Office.

ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. — The Adams County Sheriff's Office arrested two people early Thursday morning in connection with a shooting inside a house party at a short-term rental near 84th Avenue and Washington Street.

Three people suffered non-life-threatening injuries, the sheriff's office said. Deputies described the event as a birthday party.

“We have some experience with these types of properties being rented out and utilized for larger events, parties, for various occasions,” Sgt. Adam Sherman, the department’s public information officer, said Thursday morning.

“Those messages get spread through social media, and as soon as that happens you never know who will show up," he said. "It could be gang affiliation, or other types of opportunities to where maybe the person hosting wasn’t expecting.”

A listing for the home, labeled the House of Vibes, appeared to be removed from Airbnb on Thursday. But a Booking.com listing for the same address still listed the home with five queen-sized beds, able to accommodate 10 people.

The removal of the home from the Airbnb platform comes as the company announced a new AI tool to help crack down on renters seeking listings for short-term parties.

“We are utilizing our state-of-the-art AI and machine learning system to identify potentially higher risk one night and two night booking attempts of entire home listings and prevent those bookings from being made,” Naba Banerjee, the head of trust and safety for Airbnb, said in a news conference Thursday.

Banerjee said the so-called AI Anti-Party System is used during big holidays known for parties, like Halloween and the Fourth of July.

“The system looks at many, many factors -- hundreds, in fact -- that may indicate risk, to try to stop those booking attempts. Some of the factors, for example, are the length of the trip, the distance to the listing from the booker, and if the booking was made at the last minute,” Banerjee said.

Banerjee said the problem with parties at rental properties stretches back to 2020, when bars and other event centers were closed. She said the company had to institute a no-party policy that summer to prevent properties from being abused for partying. In 2020, about 7,500 users were suspended from Airbnb because they violated the party policy, Banerjee said.

The company also offers a neighbor support hotline where neighbors can request the company call them about an ongoing problem.

RELATED: 3 hurt in shooting at short-term rental property

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