$10 Million Deal Highlights the Value of Operational History in AI Development

Google recently agreed to pay $10 million for Spirit Airlines' internal business data, including emails, Teams messages, software, spreadsheets, and operating records. The airline is bankrupt, but its data still holds value for product development and AI.

A bankruptcy judge has delayed approval of the sale while a dispute over employee data protections is resolved.

Ben Lorica notes that this deal highlights the importance of operational history in AI development. Companies often keep records of results, but an agent trying to perform work may need more than just final documents - it needs to see how people actually do their jobs.

The underlying idea is that experience is key to improving performance, not just reading finished work from others. Lorica proposes identifying valuable tasks and creating a better record of how the work succeeds, rather than simply accumulating activity.