Washington — An ex-Google software engineer with a background in artificial intelligence faces allegations of appropriating over 500 files containing confidential data on the tech company’s supercomputing infrastructure. The federal indictment, disclosed in San Francisco on Wednesday, implicates Linwei Ding, a Chinese national residing in Newark, California.
Ding stands accused of four counts of misappropriating trade secrets, with prosecutors asserting that he illicitly transferred sensitive information from Google to a personal account for the benefit of tech entities in China. Records from the court unveiled that Ding commenced his tenure at Google in 2019, concentrating on software development for artificial intelligence and machine learning programs. Prosecutors claimed that from May 2022 onwards, he methodically siphoned off the tech giant’s proprietary data.
In June 2022, as per the charging documents, Ding purportedly received emails from the CEO of a Beijing-based tech firm, offering him a lucrative monthly compensation exceeding $14,000 to assume an executive role focused on machine learning and AI training models. Subsequently, prosecutors alleged that Ding initiated his own company the following year and presented his technological venture to potential investors at a venture capital conference in Beijing.
A promotional document attributed to Ding and disseminated to investors during the conference highlighted his “expertise with Google’s … platform.” The document allegedly outlined the intention to replicate, enhance, and advance a computational power platform tailored to China’s specific requirements.
Investigators contended that Ding continued to exfiltrate information from Google until December 2023, when his activities came to the company’s attention. Shortly thereafter, Ding resigned from his position and made travel arrangements to Beijing. Following a protracted FBI inquiry, he was apprehended in Newark on Wednesday morning. The presence of legal representation for Ding remains undisclosed.
José Castañeda, a spokesperson for Google, remarked, “We have stringent measures in place to forestall the misappropriation of our confidential business data and trade secrets. Upon investigation, we ascertained that this employee absconded with numerous documents, prompting us to promptly involve law enforcement.” Castañeda expressed gratitude to the FBI for their assistance in safeguarding the company’s information and affirmed continued collaboration with the authorities.
Attorney General Merrick Garland, speaking at an event in San Francisco, underscored the Justice Department’s unwavering stance against trade secret theft, aligning with national security officials’ concerns over the illicit acquisition of American technology by foreign entities. These charges against Ding mark the Justice Department’s heightened focus on countering such threats, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence technology. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco emphasized the paramount importance of safeguarding AI, categorizing it as a “disruptive technology” of utmost significance.
Contributions to this report were made by Jo Ling Kent.
Robert Legare
Robert Legare serves as a multiplatform reporter and producer at CBS News, specializing in coverage of the Justice Department, federal courts, and investigative matters. Previously, he held the role of associate producer for the “CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell.”
