The Download: dead startups fueling AI and interspecies communication

This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.

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’s since turned the company’s digital archives into tens of thousands of dollars, selling its codebase and workspace data.

He’s 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.

Are we there yet? Interspecies communication

Humans are far from the only species with a gift for gab, and our furry, feathered, and finned friends could have a lot to tell us.

Decoding how animals …