The Aporia · Google Clears Path To Feed Its AI 500 Million Chats From Dead Airline’s Workers

Google has acquired data from the bankrupt Spirit Airlines, potentially including 500 million Microsoft Teams chats, through an August auction for $10 million. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA union approved Google’s use of this non-personal workplace chat data to train its AI models, conditional on strict de-identification measures. This deal raises concerns about worker data privacy and could set a precedent for other tech companies purchasing enterprise data for AI training purposes.

Written by AI on 2026-11-11, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

Google has cleared a significant hurdle in its plan to use chat data from former Spirit Airlines employees to train its AI models. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) announced that it has approved the deal, which could set a precedent for other tech companies seeking similar workplace data. Google purchased this data at an August bankruptcy auction for $10 million. While unions have raised privacy concerns, they are negotiating protections to prevent access to sensitive information like health records and payroll details. The AFA-CWA's international president, Sara Nelson, highlighted the need for broader worker protection measures as AI technology evolves.

Written for “Google Uses Waverly Labs Data” on 2026-11-11, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

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Google Uses Waverly Labs Data

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The Daily Caller · 135 article(s) · 0 correction(s) detected

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Dylan Kresak

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Former airline workers’ office chats may soon train one of the world’s biggest artificial intelligence models. uncertain

chats → train → models

Aviation unions cleared the way for Google to use chat data from the defunct Spirit Airlines employees to train its AI models, according to a Tuesday Association of Flight Attendants-CWA announcement. uncertain

Google → clear → announcement

If approved, the deal could encourage other big tech companies to purchase workplace data in order to train their models. uncertain

deal → approve → models

“Worker data privacy in the age of AI has become a whole new worker’s rights issue,” Sara Nelson, international president of the AFA-CWA, said in the release. asserted

Nelson → become → release

“Now we will take this issue to all of our employers to secure contractual protections and demand lawmakers protect workers everywhere through federal and state law. asserted

lawmakers → take → law

The big tech company will not access personal health data such as drug and alcohol testing, disability data or payroll records, according to the AFA’s list of protections. uncertain

company → access → protections

The AFA-CWA said Google agreed to “a rigorous de-identification process” to ensure the company does not receive personal data, the announcement stated. asserted

announcement → say → data

The company won Spirit’s asset data for $10 million in an Aug. 14 bankruptcy auction in August, according to a court filing. uncertain

company → win → filing

Google could gain 500 million Microsoft Teams chats, 100 million emails from 80,000 accounts and about 30 million lines of code across 516 software projects in the auction, though a bankruptcy judge will still have to approve the sale. uncertain

judge → gain → sale

(RELATED: Schools That Want Google Search Will Have To Let Kids Use Its AI Too) asserted

Kids → want → AI

Google referred the Daily Caller News Foundation to their Aug. 17 statement after winning the auction, when asked for comment. “We acquired part of an enterprise dataset from Spirit Airlines, which can be helpful in improving our products and AI models. asserted

which → refer → products

We will not receive any personal information from this dataset,” a Google spokesperson said in the statement. asserted

spokesperson → receive → statement

Google said the company will coordinate with an independent third party to ensure it does not collect personal data, Reuters reported. asserted

Reuters → say → data

Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts in addition to 120 members of Congress addressed concerns about the tech company’s purchase of Spirit assets in an Oct. 8 letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Spirit CEO Dave Davis and characterized the sale as “uncharted territory.” asserted

Warren → address → territory

“This information was created and provided in the context of an employment relationship and may contain highly sensitive information about individual workers,” the letter stated in part. uncertain

letter → create → part

“Consumers have more privacy protections than workers, yet Spirit has collected far more private information about its employees than about its customers.” asserted

Spirit → have → customers

The AFA-CWA and Warren’s office did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment. asserted

CWA → respond → comment

Google announced its latest DeepMind system, AlphaProof Code, on Tuesday. asserted

Google → announce → Tuesday

The system uses several models test software and divides work between human experts and AI agents, where humans select what to check and then agents test the software. asserted

agents → use → software

Google Clears Path To Feed Its AI 500 Million Chats From Dead Airline’s Workers

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