4 ms·
Better this than the Bot Company, which has been apparently renting out AirBnBs for robot testing and leaving them trashed: https://sfstandard.com/2026/05/28/sf
by necubi 4mo ago
Better this than the Bot Company, which has been apparently renting out AirBnBs for robot testing and leaving them trashed: https://sfstandard.com/2026/05/28/sf-startup-secretly-testing-robots-airbnbs-trashing-lawsuit-claims/ https://sfstandard.com/2026/05/28/sf-startup-secretly-testin...
- mcmcmc 4mo agoI mean is it? At least the AirBnB owner has some recourse, any attempt to fight exploitation from “free services” goes nowhere
- giwook 4mo agoThe article specifically mentions at least one property owner who has been denied any recourse because of the lack of before/after photos (presumably before that specific rental).
- somewhatgoated 4mo agoHow do you rent out your place and don’t take any photos before?
- bathtub365 4mo agoI’m sure Airbnb operators get comfortable turning it over every few days without having to constantly take photos. Most guests don’t bring robots in to smash up the dishwasher and dent the walls
- somewhatgoated 4mo agoSure but taking a photo of everything in its “good” state seems reasonable. You don’t need to constantly update the photos if nothing gets smashed.
- ChrisArchitect 4mo agoDiscussion on that one: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48317093 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48317093
- bluGill 4mo agoAfter thinking about this for a while, I'm not sure it really happened. It wouldn't surprise me if the house was not trashed, just a landlord manipulating evidence when they think they can make money in court. There is no particular reason to trust either side and we have not seen what evidence really exists. In particular the reporters didn't do a good job of digging in - at the very least where is the response from the Bot Company?
- archonis 4mo agoWho needs occam's razor when you've got a mobieus shaped breadknife?
- everyone 4mo agoThat made me lol.
- ChoGGi 4mo agoCould be a greedy landlord, but they did turn off his security cameras, so I'm giving him the benefit of doubt for now.
- dotancohen 4mo agoSecurity cameras inside an apartment for rent, what is essentially a hotel room? Is this common?
- progval 4mo agoNothing in the article says the cameras are inside.
- roryirvine 4mo agoSadly, yes: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/how-to-spot-hidden-camera-airbnb-holiday-b2936663.html https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/how-to-...
- 4mo ago
- kylehotchkiss 4mo agoAt least the AirBnB owners got paid to have their homes mutalated by robots
- ceejayoz 4mo agoIf they’re suing, that seems to be insufficient. Among other issues, it likely causes knock-on problems for tomorrow’s reservations.
- cogogo 4mo agoMove fast, break things
- zeafoamrun 4mo agoLike your favorite lamp.
- Garlef 4mo agoIsn't Airbnb 99% commercial nowadays? Who would leave their fav lamp in there?
- zeafoamrun 4mo agoMost airbnbs have completely uninspired interior decoration but I had a great one that I'll always remember for having really unique lighting (lots of layers and textures)
- nilamo 4mo agoYes, nobody ever actually lives in them, they're just 24/7 airbnbs with a cleaning service.
- KaiMagnus 4mo agoI want this as a setting in my future cleaning robots.
- fmbb 4mo agoSeems like there is some synergy to be found here!
- arthurcolle 4mo agoGood cop, bad cop
- boguscoder 4mo agoErrr, good bot, bad bot!
- GTP 4mo agoWe need a captcha that differentiates between the two. I want to allow only good bots in my home.
- darth_avocado 4mo agoActually shift should just partner with Airbnb. Airbnb takes out the cleaning fee from the app, customers benefit, owners get a free cleaning service, Airbnb wins, Shift wins. And if Airbnb invests in Shift, even better.
- ElProlactin 4mo ago> Airbnb takes out the cleaning fee from the app Why would they do that? Airbnb should invest in Shift, continue to encourage exorbitant cleaning fees, and subsidize discounts for hosts so that they're incentivized to fire their current housekeeping providers and switch to Shift.
- imglorp 4mo agoThe fact that they're not partnering with Airbnb tells us what we need to know. The top of this thread is more likely now: they're interested in surveilling the people, not the buildings.
- htrp 4mo agoMore like the tech doesn't work or scale (yet).
- BloondAndDoom 4mo agoI think I’m happy for some privacy abuse oriented startup and an Airbnb landlord screwing each other. It seems like a good thing for the world.