Google's $10 million plan to buy Spirit's data and use it to train AI cleared one of its last big hurdles

Google's scheme to get a huge trove of data from Spirit Airlines to train its AI models is one stage nearer following it cleared a key privacy hurdle.

The Association of Flight Attendants stated Tuesday that alongside another unions it had reached a agreement to defend the individual data of erstwhile Spirit staff. It called the accord "an historic win for employee privacy protections."

After Spirit close downward in May, its resources were put up for auction. Google won the bid to pay $10 myriad for data including 500 myriad Microsoft Teams chats, 100 myriad emails, and another inner documents. Google has stated the data would assistance enhance its products and AI models.

But the transaction has been held up in bankruptcy court complete privacy concerns, particularly concerning particulars of personnel and customers held by Spirit.

Last month, 121 members of Congress, led by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, raised concerns concerning the deal. A court-appointed privacy ombudsman recommended the agreement be approved following individual data concerning 97 myriad Spirit customers was excluded.

Aviation unions and public-interest groups withdrew their objections to the transaction on Monday night following reaching a agreement alongside Google concerning Spirit employees' data.

They accepted on excluding data covering employees' medicinal and impairment history, medication or liquor evaluation records, payroll records, and more, the AFA said.

The union additionally stated it had won a additional rigorous de-identification procedure than earlier planned, and Google is prohibited from attempting to reidentify the data.

"Worker data privacy in the age of AI has rotate into a entire new worker's entitlements issue," stated Sara Nelson, global chairman of the AFA-CWA.

"Without our union, there would have been no one to conversation for workers in this blaze transaction of their personal information. We clashed and we won brand new protections," she added.

"Now we volition obtain this matter to all of our employers to safe contractual protections, and petition lawmakers defend workers everyplace through national and province law."

Google did not immediately react to a petition for comment.

Last month, the business stated it was "not looking to buy any individual data from Spirit," Reuters reported.

"The data volition either be entirely excluded or volition be de-identified by an autonomous third gathering before Google receives any data," it added.