# Questions to ask an AI data buyer

URL: https://aidataforsale.com/learn/questions-to-ask-an-ai-data-buyer
Publisher: AI Data For Sale (Marketing Signals Ltd)
Updated: 2026-11-10

Twelve questions every data holder should ask a prospective AI buyer about identity, use, resale, storage, retention, security and payment before sharing data.

Author: Gareth Hoyle
Audience: Data holders

## In short

- Ask who exactly will hold a copy of your data, and whether that includes affiliates, contractors or later customers.
- Ask whether the buyer resells or sublicenses data, because many data companies resell to several AI developers.
- Ask where data will be stored and used, how long it will be kept, and how deletion will be confirmed.
- Get every answer written into the license, not just a sales conversation.

## Identity and purpose

1. **Who is the licensee, exactly?** A named legal entity, not "and its affiliates".
2. **What will the data be used for?** Training, fine-tuning, evaluation, retrieval or resale.
3. **Will it be used to build a product that competes with us?**

## Copies and resale

4. **Do you resell or sublicense data?** Data companies often prepare records and resell them to multiple AI developers.
5. **Which contractors will handle it?** Labelers, cleaners and cloud providers should carry the same obligations as the buyer.
6. **What happens if you are acquired?** Require notice and that terms carry over.

## Storage and retention

7. **In which countries will data be stored and processed?**
8. **How long will you keep the raw data?** Trained models generally cannot unlearn it, but raw copies can be deleted.
9. **How will you confirm deletion?** Ask for written confirmation.

## Security and conduct

10. **What security controls apply?** Access limits, encryption and incident notice.
11. **Will you attempt re-identification or link it with other data?** The answer must be no, in writing.

## Payment

12. **How and when do we get paid?** Upfront, milestones or revenue share, and what triggers each payment.

We vet buyers against these questions before introducing them. See [how we vet](https://aidataforsale.com/how-we-vet).

## Questions

### Should I accept 'affiliates' in the licensee definition?

Avoid open-ended affiliate language. Name the entities that can use the data, or require your consent for others.

## Sources

- [Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz: Selling company data for AI training, what to know before you say yes](https://technologylaw.fkks.com/post/102o455/selling-company-data-for-ai-training-what-to-know-before-you-say-yes)