Google will Pay $10 Million to Acquire Spirit Airlines’ Business Data
Google is paying $10 million to acquire internal business data from bankrupt Spirit Airlines, according to Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O) new tab. The company says it will use the data to train its AI algorithms and develop new products. Employee emails, Microsoft Teams messages, spreadsheets, calendars, marketing, productivity, and operations data are all included in the collected data.
Before the sale is finalized, the data will be de-identified and will not include any personally identifiable or customer information. At a court hearing on Wednesday, a U.S. bankruptcy judge will decide whether to approve the data sale.
Early in May, Spirit Airlines shut down. In the US, the airline was well-known for being a radical low-cost carrier that made travel affordable for those who couldn’t afford it with traditional airlines. In August of last year, Spirit filed for bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year, and it was really declared that the airline would exit it with less debt in the summer. The US and Israel’s airstrikes on Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz caused kerosene prices to rise substantially, which prohibited this. The airline eventually gave up after finance negotiations and a US government rescue plan broke down.
Google’s action highlights the significance of training data for AI development once more. Potentially illegal methods of collecting such content have long targeted AI businesses. This is the subject of numerous litigation, most of which are pending in the United States. In order to feed AI models with real-world processes, it has become more and more usual for AI companies to obtain internal company data from failing organizations. Google defeated Mercor, an AI firm that had offered $7.5 million for the data treasure, in the Spirit Airlines auction. Software and pricing information are also included in the package.
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