The Download: Dead Startups Fueling AI and Interspecies Communication
Your daily briefing on the latest in technology, published October 28, 2026. Plus: Hackers disrupt the US Federal Election Commission's website.
AI Labs Are Buying Data from Dead Startups to Train Their Models
When Keelan Miskell began winding down his crypto startup, he didn't think its data was worth much. But he has since turned the company's digital archives into tens of thousands of dollars by selling its codebase and workspace data.
He is part of a growing market in which companies that help shut down startups sell their data to AI labs. Demand has grown as training labs hit the limits of public and synthetic datasets, with buyers seeking real-world records to help train AI agents. But the sales raise legal and ethical questions.
Read the full story on the AI labs buying up the remains of failed startups.
—Matthew King
Are We There Yet? Interspecies Communication
Humans are far from the only species with a gift for gab. Our furry, feathered, and ... (article continues)