A former Google employee, Linwei Ding, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly transferring sensitive Google artificial intelligence (AI) trade secrets and other confidential information to his personal account, according to information released by the Department of Justice (DOJ). The indictment comprises four counts of theft of trade secrets. Ding, a Chinese national and California resident, had access to confidential information owing to his role as a software engineer at Google since 2019.
The doj.gov report implies that Ding began uploading trade secrets to his personal Google Cloud account on May 21, 2022. These uploads allegedly continued periodically until May 2, 2023, during which time Ding is said to have uploaded more than 500 files containing confidential information.
While purloining this information, Ding took on the role of chief technology officer at a Chinese startup, and is reported to have traveled to China to work with the company between October 29, 2022 to March 25, 2023. Furthermore, in May 2023, Ding established his own technology company in the AI industry. Stated in one of the documents related to this company is that they had experience with Google’s ten-thousand-card computational power platform and aimed to replicate and upgrade it with a focus on China’s national conditions.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland expressed strong concern on this matter, saying, “The Justice Department will not tolerate the theft of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies that could put our national security at risk”. This sentiment was echoed by FBI Director, Christopher Wray, who mentioned the detrimental impact of such thefts on American innovation, jobs, and national security.
Ding could face up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count of theft. The FBI and the Department of Commerce are currently investigating the case further.
For more information, read the full article at jurist.org.