Key facts
- Google is reportedly paying select Play Store developers for access to their app source code.
- The program is confidential and aims to improve Google's AI coding tools.
- Developers can license their code to Google while retaining ownership and IP rights.
- This initiative is seen as a way for Google to acquire more data for AI training.
Google is reportedly engaging in a confidential program where it pays select developers of apps on the Play Store for access to their application source code. This initiative is aimed at enhancing Google's artificial intelligence-powered coding tools, such as those that compete with Anthropic's Claude Code and GitHub Copilot. The move comes as Google appears to be seeking more data to train its AI models. Developers participating in the program reportedly have the option to license their code to Google while maintaining full ownership and intellectual property rights over their work. This strategy suggests a proactive effort by Google to bolster its AI development capabilities by leveraging existing codebases from the Android ecosystem.