Former Google Chinese Engineer Indicted for Stealing AI Trade Secrets

500 Cases of Google Data Leaked While Working at a Chinese Company

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on the 6th (local time) that a former Google software engineer of Chinese nationality has been indicted for leaking Google's artificial intelligence (AI) trade secrets to China.

According to the Associated Press on the 6th (local time), Linwei Ding, a Chinese national, was arrested in Newark, California, on four counts of federal trade secret theft. Each count carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Ding is accused of secretly working for two companies located in China while leaking Google's AI-related information.

He was hired by Google in 2019 to work on software used in supercomputing data centers. According to the indictment released by the California federal court, Ding began uploading trade secrets stored on Google's network from May 2022 to May 2023, uploading more than 500 unique files containing confidential information.

The stolen information includes details about chips, systems, and software that help operate supercomputers capable of running cutting-edge machine learning and AI technologies.

After starting the leak, Ding was appointed Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of a Chinese technology company. He also sought investment funding for the company in China and established an AI and machine learning startup there.

Google began suspecting Ding in December 2023 and secured his laptop on January 4, 2024, one day before he resigned.

FBI Director Christopher Wray stated in a press release, "This indictment is an example of a China-based corporate affiliate’s willingness to steal American innovation," adding, "Stealing innovative technology and trade secrets from U.S. companies can lead to job losses and have devastating consequences for the economy and national security."

Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said, "Google has strict protective measures in place to prevent the theft of confidential commercial information and trade secrets," and added, "Our investigation found that this employee stole numerous documents, and we promptly referred the matter to law enforcement agencies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.