A former Google software engineer of Chinese origin faces charges in the United States for purportedly pilfering trade secrets concerning artificial intelligence (AI) while clandestinely laboring for two Chinese entities, as per reports on Thursday.
The accusations, lodged in California, allege that Linwei Ding, also known as Leon Ding, absconded with over 500 confidential files, potentially imperiling Google’s supercomputing data center infrastructure.
Ding commenced his tenure at Google in 2019, tasked with AI software development duties. Per the indictment, he commenced transferring data from Google’s network to his personal Google account in May 2022, persisting in the unauthorized data transfers sporadically for a year.
During this period, he purportedly worked for Beijing Rongshu Lianzhi Technology, a Chinese startup, and established his own AI-centric enterprise, Shanghai Zhisuan Technology, where he held the CEO mantle.
According to the indictment, Ding concealed his associations with the Chinese entities from Google, contravening the firm’s policies. He solicited backing from an entity based in China for his venture, showcasing it at an investor summit in China in November 2023.
Google grew suspicious when Ding attempted further data uploads while in China, ostensibly to furnish proof of his contributions to the tech behemoth.
Upon returning to the US, Ding tendered his resignation to Google, which, unaware of his covert activities, revoked his access.
The discovery of unauthorized data transfers prompted Google to alert authorities.
Google’s spokesperson, José Castañeda, affirmed that the company implements stringent protocols to thwart data theft and promptly reported the purported misconduct to law enforcement.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland underscored Ding’s purported efforts to enrich himself through clandestine dealings with firms vying for supremacy in AI technology.
FBI Director Christopher Wray contended that this case underscores the lengths to which certain Chinese entities go to appropriate American innovation.
The Justice Department unveiled the charges against Ding at an American Bar Association Conference in San Francisco, with Garland underscoring the gravity of Chinese economic espionage and the national security implications of AI advancements.
Google corroborated Ding’s theft of numerous documents, leading to law enforcement referral.
Each of the four counts of federal trade secret theft levied against Ding carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, according to AP News.
This case underscores the cutthroat competition in the high-tech arena, where AI assumes a pivotal role.
The burgeoning apprehension over foreign adversaries leveraging AI technologies to the detriment of the United States has prompted the Justice Department to prioritize AI enforcement.
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