Key facts
- Google is seeking to acquire Spirit Airlines' internal data for $10 million to train AI systems.
- The data includes 100 million emails, 500 million Microsoft Teams messages, and employee records.
- Over 120 U.S. lawmakers have raised concerns about the data acquisition.
- Lawmakers requested that employee information be excluded from the transaction.
- Google stated the acquired data will help improve its products and AI models.
- A bankruptcy court judge is expected to rule on the sale of the data.
Alphabet's Google unit is facing scrutiny from over 120 U.S. lawmakers regarding its $10 million bid to acquire the defunct Spirit Airlines' internal data for training artificial intelligence systems. The lawmakers, led by Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Steven Horsford, expressed their concerns on Thursday, urging Google to exclude employee information from the transaction to the greatest extent possible.
The proposed sale includes a vast amount of data, reportedly comprising 100 million emails, 500 million Microsoft Teams messages, and other employee records. Spirit Airlines halted operations in May and has been selling off its assets through bankruptcy proceedings. While the airline stated that the data has been stripped of personally identifiable information, the lawmakers remain concerned about the potential use of employee records.
A Google spokesperson confirmed the acquisition of an enterprise dataset to improve its products and AI models, asserting that no personal information would be received. The sale is unusual, as bankrupt airlines are typically acquired whole by other carriers. A bankruptcy court judge, Sean Lane, is scheduled to rule on the sale of the data at a hearing on Wednesday.