AI labs are purchasing internal data archives from failed startups, including Slack messages, Jira tickets, and emails. This "operational exhaust" serves as premium training material, allowing defunct companies to monetize their digital footprints. Specialized corporate wind-down firms facilitate these sales, which can generate hundreds of thousands of dollars per deal.
The data populates "reinforcement learning gyms" that simulate complex corporate environments for AI agents. These simulations use real-world business communications to teach agents how to navigate unstructured workplace noise. Some AI labs reportedly plan to spend up to $1 billion on these gyms to develop autonomous workplace technology.