The arrest of a former Google AI engineer, accused of stealing information on the company’s advanced technologies for his own venture in China, was announced by the Justice Department on Wednesday.
The individual in question, Leon Ding, also known as Linwei Ding, a 38-year-old Chinese national, was apprehended in Newark, Calif., and is facing four counts of trade secret theft.
This development underscores the U.S. government’s determination to thwart any unauthorized efforts to transfer cutting-edge U.S. technologies to China, particularly in the midst of a technological rivalry reminiscent of the Cold War between Washington and Beijing.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland emphasized the government’s stance on safeguarding national security, stating, “The Justice Department will not tolerate the theft of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies.”
If convicted, Ding could potentially receive a sentence of up to 10 years in prison along with fines amounting to $1 million.
Court documents reveal that Ding joined Google as a software engineer in 2019, focusing on supercomputing data centers and software development for machine learning and AI applications.
Allegations suggest that Ding illicitly transferred confidential Google data to his personal Google Cloud account starting in May 2022, accumulating over 500 files of proprietary information by May 2023.
The trade secret theft charges involve chip architecture and software design specifications related to “tensor processing units” and “graphics processing units,” integral components of supercomputing facilities.
During his tenure at Google, Ding assumed the role of chief technology officer at Beijing Rongshu Lianzhi Technology Co., an AI firm in China, and established another company, Shanghai Zhisuan Technology Co., without disclosing these positions to Google.
Following a search of Ding’s residence by the FBI on Jan. 6, which resulted in the seizure of electronic devices and incriminating evidence, Assistant Secretary Matthew Axelrod of the Commerce Department’s Office for Export Enforcement issued a stern warning against unauthorized technology transfers to China.
The investigation into Ding was spearheaded by the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force, dedicated to safeguarding U.S. technologies from acquisition by “authoritarian regimes and hostile nation-states.”
Both the U.S. and Chinese governments recognize artificial intelligence as a pivotal emerging technology with vast economic potential in civilian sectors and significant implications for military and intelligence applications. President Biden’s executive order on AI underscores the nation’s commitment to maintaining a competitive edge in AI innovation.
Efforts to reach Ding, Beijing Rongshu Lianzhi Technology, and Shanghai Zhisuan Technology for comments were unsuccessful. Google spokesperson José Castañeda confirmed that the case had been reported to federal authorities, emphasizing the company’s stringent measures to protect confidential information and trade secrets.
