WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department revealed on Wednesday that a former software engineer at Google, Linwei Ding, has been accused of purloining artificial intelligence technology from the company while collaborating covertly with two Chinese-based companies. Ding, a Chinese national, was apprehended in Newark, California, facing four charges of federal trade secret theft, each carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The announcement of the charges against Ding was made by Attorney General Merrick Garland at an American Bar Association Conference in San Francisco, underscoring the ongoing concerns regarding Chinese economic espionage and the national security risks associated with advancements in artificial intelligence.
FBI Director Christopher Wray emphasized, “Today’s charges are the latest illustration of the lengths affiliates of companies based in the People’s Republic of China are willing to go to steal American innovation. The theft of innovative technology and trade secrets from American companies can cost jobs and have devastating economic and national security consequences.”
Recent warnings from Justice Department officials have highlighted the potential misuse of AI technologies by foreign adversaries to undermine the United States. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco emphasized the priority placed on AI enforcement by the administration’s Disruptive Technology Strike Force, while Wray cautioned business leaders about the susceptibility of emerging technologies, such as AI, to foreign interference in the American political landscape.
According to an unsealed indictment in the Northern District of California, Ding, who joined Google in 2019 and had access to confidential data on the company’s supercomputing data centers, allegedly began transferring hundreds of files to a personal Google Cloud account two years ago.
Shortly after the theft commenced, Ding purportedly received an offer to become the chief technology officer at a Chinese technology startup that highlighted its utilization of AI technology. The indictment further alleges that Ding traveled to China, engaged in investor meetings for the company, and endeavored to secure funding while simultaneously establishing and leading a startup in China focused on training “large AI models powered by supercomputing chips.”
Ding reportedly failed to disclose these affiliations to Google. Following his resignation from the company on December 26, Google officials discovered that he had represented himself as the CEO of one of the Chinese companies at an investor conference in Beijing just three days later. Surveillance footage also revealed that another employee had scanned Ding’s access badge at the workplace, creating a false impression of his presence during his trips to China.
As of now, it remains unclear whether Ding, aged 38, has legal representation to address the allegations against him.
