In a $200 Million Deal, Airbnb Acquires a Startup That Uses Artificial Intelligence

(CTN News) – Sources familiar with the deal told that Airbnb just made its first acquisition as a public company, in a deal valued at just under $200 million, according to sources familiar with the deal.

There is a startup called Gameplanner.AI which has been in stealth mode since it was founded in the year 2020. Startups that operate in stealth mode do so for a variety of reasons, such as protecting intellectual property and avoiding distractions, as well as for a variety of other reasons.

In accordance with Airbnb, Gameplanner.AI will accelerate some of the company’s AI projects in the near future.

It was co-founded by Adam Cheyer, who is one of the co-founders of Siri and the inventor of Gameplanner.AI. He also worked alongside Steve Jobs when Siri was acquired by Apple and the inventor of Gameplanner.

AI. Cheyer later co-founded Viv Labs, a company that would form the basis for Samsung’s voice assistant, Bixby.

The Airbnb CEO has stated that generative AI has the potential to transform their platform in a radically new way and he hopes to use it as a “travel concierge” that learns about users over time and enhances their travel experiences by, for example, matching them with rooms or homes that are perfect for their needs.

Airbnb is making its first acquisition since 2019 and it may pique some interest on Wall Street regarding whether Chesky’s M&A strategy is shifting and perhaps making Airbnb a more attractive acquisition if Chesky’s strategy changes.

As of the end of September, the company had $11 billion in cash and other liquid assets, representing a profitable business on a GAAP basis.

It’s been reported that Airbnb is in talks with Google to invest hundreds of millions into another AI startup, Character.AI, which raised a $150 million in a funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz in March at a $1 billion valuation, following reports that Google is in talks to invest hundreds of millions in another AI startup, Data.

AI. Using this startup, you can create virtual characters or converse with AI versions of famous celebrities such as Elon Musk and Albert Einstein.

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