US lawmakers raise alarm at Google plan to acquire Spirit Airlines data for AI models
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The sale would include 100 million emails, 500 million Microsoft Teams messages and other employee records.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- More than 120 US lawmakers warned against Google buying Spirit Airlines data for AI training, saying worker privacy should not be sacrificed.
- Google said it does not want personal data and will exclude or de-identify it with an independent third party before any transfer.
- The deal covers Spirit’s internal records after its collapse, and unions say it could affect workers across the economy; a judge will hear it on Oct 14.
AI generated
WASHINGTON – More than 120 US lawmakers raised concerns on Oct 8 about a deal for Alphabet’s Google unit to acquire defunct carrier Spirit Airlines’ internal data for US$10 million (S$12.8 million) to train artificial intelligence systems.
As part of Spirit’s closure and asset liquidation, Google won an auction in August for data from spreadsheets and calendars as well as for marketing, productivity and operations. Spirit Airlines halted operations in May.
A privacy ombudsman on Oct 5 recommended a US bankruptcy judge approve the deal at an Oct 14 hearing after excluding passenger personal information from 97 million Spirit customers.
The lawmakers led by Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Steven Horsford said the sale would include 100 million emails, 500 million Microsoft Teams messages and other employee records.
The lawmakers asked the company to “exclude employee information from the transaction to the greatest extent possible”.
“Innovation should not come at the expense of workers’ privacy or the confidentiality of information they were required to provide as a condition of employment,” said the lawmakers.
“The unprecedented scale and sophistication of modern artificial intelligence make it particularly important that privacy protections keep pace with the technology.”
Google said it did not want to acquire personal information.
“We are not looking to buy any personal information from Spirit. The information will either be completely excluded or will be de-identified by an independent third party before Google receives any data. We’re already working constructively with the appointed privacy ombudsman,” a Google spokesperson said.
Union leaders have expressed concern about the sale. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, said: “The outcome of conditions on this proposed sale to Google carries tremendous implications for workers across the economy.”
Spirit also received a US$7.5 million bid from Mercor, an AI data company, for the employee data.
The Federal Aviation Administration this week approved the US$58.5 million sale of Spirit’s slots at New York LaGuardia airport to JetBlue Airways. REUTERS