Google Pays $10 Million for Spirit Airlines Data, Outbidding AI Startups

Google has acquired the corporate data of Spirit Airlines for $10 million, after the airline ceased operations in May. The data package includes emails, internal messages and lines of code. Google beat out AI‑training data startups such as Mercor, underscoring the growing value placed on private corporate datasets. The specific use Google intends for the data remains undisclosed. The transaction highlights a trend where major technology firms are willing to pay significant sums for proprietary business information, potentially reshaping how AI models are trained and what data sources are considered. WhyItMatters: The deal illustrates the escalating demand for corporate data in AI development and may set a new benchmark for future data acquisitions in the tech industry.