Items are displayed in the Google Store at the Google Visitor Experience in Mountain View, Calif., Oct. 11, 2023. Linwei Ding was arrested in Newark, California., on four counts of federal trade secret theft.(AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File).
A former Google software engineer faces federal charges for allegedly stealing trade secrets related to artificial intelligence (AI) while collaborating with Chinese companies, as announced by the Justice Department on Wednesday.
Linwei Ding, a Chinese national residing in Newark, California, was apprehended on four counts of federal trade secret theft, with each charge carrying a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
Attorney General Merrick Garland revealed the case against Ding during an American Bar Association conference in San Francisco. Law enforcement authorities, including FBI Director Christopher Wray, have consistently emphasized the threat posed by Chinese economic espionage and the national security risks associated with advancements in AI and other emerging technologies.
FBI Director Wray emphasized the gravity of stealing innovative technology and trade secrets from American firms, underscoring its potential to impact employment and have far-reaching economic and national security ramifications.
Google, upon discovering the theft, swiftly referred the matter to law enforcement. According to Google spokesman Jose Castaneda, the company maintains rigorous safeguards to protect its confidential commercial information and trade secrets.
The indictment alleges that Ding, employed by Google since 2019, began transferring numerous documents to a personal Google Cloud account, leveraging his access to the company's supercomputing data centers. Shortly after initiating the theft, Ding purportedly accepted the role of chief technology officer at a tech company in China, emphasizing its utilization of AI technology. He also founded and led a China-based startup focused on developing large AI models powered by supercomputing chips.
Ding's affiliations with these Chinese companies were allegedly undisclosed to Google. Despite being characterized as a junior employee by Google, Ding's actions have raised significant concerns about the protection of AI-related trade secrets.
The case underscores the strategic importance of AI in the technology landscape, with Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco emphasizing its centrality in the administration's enforcement priorities. Both Monaco and Wray have highlighted the potential for foreign adversaries to exploit AI technologies to undermine U.S. interests.
The investigation into Ding's activities culminated in a search warrant executed by the FBI at his residence, resulting in the seizure of electronic devices and the discovery of over 500 unique files of confidential information purportedly stolen from Google.
