AI Startup Micro1 Seeks to Topple Google’s Bid for Spirit Data

An artificial intelligence startup is attempting to wrest away a vast trove of Spirit Aviation Holdings Inc.’s business records from Google LLC.

AI firm micro1 Inc. said in a Thursday court filing that it will pay $12.5 million for the records which include 500 million Microsoft Team items, 100 million emails, roughly 16 million customer chat sessions, operational data and other internal information produced before the budget carrier went out-of-business this year.

The offer from micro1 will likely face procedural hurdles. Spirit’s advisers already agreed to a $10 million deal with Google following a court approved Chapter 11 auction. A judge is scheduled to consider approving the Google sale on Sept. 9 and courts are generally hesitant to disrupt auctions that have already concluded. The sale is part of Florida-based Spirit’s liquidation after it shut down in May.

A Spirt spokesperson declined to comment.

Lawyers for micro1 said not only does their offer represent a 25% premium, but the firm has the technical ability to ensure the records are “deidentified” to protect employees’ privacy. The startup said it will exclude other sensitive employee records, including disciplinary and investigatory materials as well as records related to any collective bargaining with labor unions that represented Spirit workers.

The data will be stored in the US and be subject to an independent review by an ombudsman selected by Spirit advisers, micro1 said. Labor unions representing former Spirit employees have challenged the Google transaction and raised privacy concerns.

Google has said it “will not receive any personal information from this dataset” and will pay a third party to strip out sensitive information about Spirit’s customers.