Google to Train AI Using Data from Bankrupt Airline; Deal Worth ₹95 Crore

Google has won a bid worth $10 million (approximately ₹95 crore) for the extensive business data and software of the bankrupt US carrier Spirit Airlines. Google intends to use this data to enhance its products and train AI models. This information emerged from documents filed with a US bankruptcy court.

The deal encompasses a vast amount of Spirit Airlines’ internal business data. According to Axios, the package includes around 100 million emails and 500 million Microsoft Teams chats, alongside calendar information, documents, spreadsheets, and other business records.

Additionally, the data includes records related to the airline’s finances and operations, revenue management information, software code, and other business details. According to Bloomberg Law, the court filings mention—in addition to the 100 million emails and 500 million Teams chats—information regarding revenue, aircraft operations, employee productivity, and audits.

Google plans to utilize this data for product development and AI model training. Reports indicate that Google placed a $10 million bid to acquire Spirit Airlines’ internal business data.

This development is significant because AI companies are no longer relying solely on general data available on the internet; data derived from the actual business operations of real companies can also contain valuable information for AI models. Spirit’s data contains insights into the airline’s operations, revenue, and other functional areas.

Reports state that Google is not acquiring private data belonging to Spirit Airlines’ customers. The deal excludes customer data and credit card information. A process is also in place to remove personally identifiable information from the data before the transfer takes place.