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Google Wins $10 Million Auction to Acquire Spirit Airlines Data for AI Training Amid Employee Objections

Google has secured a $10 million deal to purchase a vast dataset from the bankrupt Spirit Airlines to improve its artificial intelligence models. The data includes approximately 100 million employee emails, HR records, and payroll information, but excludes specific customer data like loyalty programs and frequent flyer details. To ensure privacy, Google agreed to use a third-party service to strip all personally identifiable information from the records before they are transferred. However, the Association of Flight Attendants has filed an official objection to the sale. The union argues that while the deal protects consumer privacy, it fails to provide adequate protections for the workers. They contend that even without names, the data could still reveal sensitive information regarding grievances, training performance, and management interactions. While Google maintains that the data will be rigorously scrubbed, the Association of Flight Attendants expressed concern that the company could eventually re-associate the information with specific employees. A late bid of $12.5 million from Micro1 has also been submitted to the court, though the final sale is pending a September hearing.

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