Produced by: Tarun Mishra
A Chinese software engineer, Linwei Ding, was arrested in Newark, California, on Wednesday for allegedly stealing artificial intelligence (AI) technology from Google while simultaneously working for two Chinese companies, announced US Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Ding, also known as Leon Ding, faces four counts of theft of trade secrets, as stated by Garland in an official statement.
Ding is accused of transferring confidential information from Google's network to his personal account while secretly affiliated with Chinese-based companies operating in the AI industry.
Garland emphasized that the Justice Department will vigorously combat the theft of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, safeguarding national security interests.
FBI Director Christopher Wray highlighted the severity of the situation, stating that the theft of innovative technology and trade secrets from American companies could lead to job losses and pose significant economic and national security threats.
According to the indictment, Ding, employed by Google in 2019, allegedly began uploading confidential Google information into a personal cloud account between May 2022 and May 2023.
Ding was approached by the chief executive of a Chinese technology company, Beijing Rongshu Lianzhi Technology Co (Rongshu), offering him the position of chief technology officer. Additionally, Ding founded his own company, Shanghai Zhisuan Technology Co (Zhisuan), without informing Google about these affiliations.
If convicted, Ding could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count of theft of trade secrets.