The Justice Department has announced that a former software engineer at Google is facing charges for allegedly stealing artificial intelligence technology from the company while collaborating with two Chinese-based companies.
Linwei Ding, a Chinese national, was arrested in Newark, California, on four counts of federal trade secret theft, each carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Attorney General Merrick Garland, speaking at an American Bar Association conference in San Francisco, emphasized the significance of the case, highlighting concerns over Chinese economic espionage and the national security implications associated with advancements in artificial intelligence.
FBI Director Christopher Wray underscored the seriousness of the charges, emphasizing the potential economic and national security consequences of technology theft from American companies.
Google, in response to the incident, stated that they had detected the theft of “numerous documents” and promptly reported it to law enforcement. A spokesperson for Google expressed gratitude to the FBI for their assistance in protecting the company’s information and affirmed their commitment to cooperation with ongoing investigations.
The indictment against Ding alleges that he began uploading hundreds of files containing confidential information from Google’s supercomputing data centers into his personal Google Cloud account. It further alleges that Ding accepted a position as chief technology officer at a technology company in China and founded a startup without disclosing these affiliations to Google.
Following Ding’s resignation from Google, the company discovered discrepancies in his presence at the workplace, including instances where his access badge was scanned while he was in China. Google suspended Ding’s network access, seized his electronic devices, and uncovered unauthorized uploads during an investigation into his network activity history.
The case underscores the growing concerns surrounding the theft of intellectual property, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence. Justice Department officials have emphasized the importance of enforcing laws to protect against such theft and safeguard national security interests.
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