AI labs are buying code and data from shutting-down startups to train models (report)

Verified (fact)

According to MIT Technology Review, AI labs are buying data from startups that are shutting down and using it to train models. The article describes Keelan Miskell, who wound down a crypto startup this year, selling the codebase for about $25,000, with additional payments still outstanding.

Why it matters (interpretation)

The race for training data is spreading beyond the public web to private assets such as defunct companies' code and internal records. Consent from the original users and the handling of personal data in these transactions could become contested issues.

Sources

• Press AI labs are buying data from dead startups to train their models MIT Technology Review