Chinese national Linwei Ding was arrested in Newark, California, for allegedly stealing proprietary AI technology from Google, raising concerns about intellectual property theft.
The 38-year-old software engineer, known as Leon Ding, joined Google in 2019 to develop software for the company’s supercomputer data centers, focusing on training advanced AI models. Ding now faces four counts of stealing trade secrets, per a US Department of Justice press release.
Activities During Employment
The allegations suggest that Ding utilized his position at Google to gain access to proprietary information, which he then allegedly uploaded to a personal Google Cloud account over the course of a year, comprising more than 500 confidential files.
While still employed at Google, Ding reportedly spent five months in China, where he clandestinely accepted a position as the chief technology officer of Beijing Rongshu Lianzhi Technology Co., a company specializing in machine learning platforms.
Following his tenure at Google, Ding proceeded to establish his own enterprise, identified as Shanghai Zhisuan Technology Co., as indicated in the indictment.
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Google’s Response and Actions
The indictment further reveals an investor pitch shared by Ding on China’s WeChat messaging app during a trip to the country, where he claimed to have experience with Google’s computational power platform.
The pitch emphasized the intention to replicate and upgrade the platform, developing one tailored to China’s national conditions.
Google became aware of Ding’s activities in China in November when he presented himself as Zhisuan’s CEO at an investor conference in Beijing. In response, Google promptly blocked his network access, remotely locked his Google notebook, and traced the history of Ding’s uploads.
FBI Director Christopher Wray underscored the gravity of the charges, stating, “The theft of innovative technology and trade secrets from American companies can cost jobs and have devastating economic and national security consequences.”
Ding may be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count if found guilty. The case serves as an example of the continuous difficulties and dangers involved in defending American invention against foreign threats.
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