Google acquires huge data set from insolvent Spirit Airlines for AI training

To train artificial intelligence, Google has secured a huge data package from the bankrupt US low-cost airline Spirit Airlines. For a bid of ten million dollars (8.6 million euros), the tech company bought around 100 million emails and 500 million conversations via the Microsoft Teams messaging platform in an auction, according to documents in the insolvency proceedings. The losing bidder in the Spirit auction was the AI ​​company Mercor with a bid of $7.5 million.

According to the documents, in addition to communication data, the data package also includes, among other things, "documents, presentations, spreadsheets, knowledge bases and wikis" as well as "data from core business systems and business applications (including, but not limited to, data on employee behavior and productivity)."

Google emphasized that all personal information should be removed from another company before the data is handed over. "We acquire the company's internal data and software, but not its customer or credit card data," a Google spokesman told Business Insider. Accordingly, Spirit Airlines’ data could be “helpful to improve our products and AI models.” The package also includes software and pricing data.

Spirit Airlines suspended operations at the beginning of May. Since August last year, the low-cost airline has already been in its second insolvency proceedings in less than twelve months. The airline originally planned to exit in the summer with lower debt. But then these plans were torpedoed by the rise in kerosene prices during the Iran War. The “sudden and sustained” increase left no other option than to stop operations, emphasized Spirit boss Dave Davis.