As Scale AI seeks to reassure customers that their data is secure following Meta's $14.3 billion investment, leaked files and the startup's own contractors indicate it has some serious security holes.

• Scale AI routinely uses public Google Docs for work with Google, Meta, and xAI.
• BI reviewed thousands of files — some marked confidential, others exposing contractor data.
• Scale AI says it's conducting a "thorough investigation."

Scale AI routinely uses public Google Docs to track work for high-profile customers like Google, Meta, and xAI, leaving multiple AI training documents labeled "confidential" accessible to anyone with the link, Business Insider found.

Contractors told BI the company relies on public Google Docs to share internal files, a method that's efficient for its vast army of at least 240,000 contractors and presents clear cybersecurity and confidentiality risks.

Scale AI also left public Google Docs with sensitive details about thousands of its contractors, including their private email addresses and whether they were suspected of "cheating." Some of those documents can be viewed and also edited by anyone with the right URL.