Google Wants Spirit Airlines’ Data. A Startup Just Outbid Its $10 Million Offer
Experts say Spirit’s records offer something AI companies desperately need: an understanding of how businesses actually work.
Micro1, an artificial intelligencestartup, has put in a $12.5 million bid for Spirit Airlines’ data. The amount is higher than that of the current frontrunner, Google.
Currently being auctioned off in New York’s Southern District Court, the now-defunct airline’s data is up for grabs. That includes:
- 100 million company emails
- 500 million Microsoft Teams messages
- Detailed logs covering thousands of flights and aircraft operations
- Pricing data on 7.2 billion competitor flights
- 7.5 billion customer transaction records dating back to 2008
- Over 30 million lines of custom software code
- Corporate records dating back to 1986 regarding financial databases, audits, fraud records, and marketing analytics
Realistic data is very valuable, Micro1 CEO
“Realistic data is very valuable,” Micro1 CEO and founder Ali Ansari told Business Insider, calling Google’s bid of $10 million “actually quite low.” According to the outlet, Micro1, which was recently named to the Inc. 5000, currently pays up to $2 million for its data. Though Google currently has the winning bid, judge approval for the auction is slated for September 9, allowing Micro1 to potentially sweep the deal.
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In a statement, a spokesperson for Micro1 told Inc. that if the bid is successful, the data would be used to help train AI models with privacy protections explicitly incorporated. “If our bid is approved, privacy and security will be a top priority. We take the concerns raised by Spirit employees and the AFA very seriously and would ensure that personal and employee information is appropriately protected and kept confidential.”
The company added that over the past two weeks, Micro1 has committed approximately $20 million to other real-world data transactions as it looks to build more capable AI models.
Data goldmine
Spirit, a Florida-based low-cost carrier, ceased services in early May due to ongoing financial troubles exacerbated by the war in Iran. Despite multiple attempts to clear its $8.1 billion worth of debt, the airline ultimately filed for bankruptcy. Since then, Spirit’s assets have been auctioned off, including its headquarters and airport slots. Those have been bought by major companies, like JetBlue. Google is hoping to be added to the roster.
Source: www.inc.com
