The indictment alleges that Ding, who had access to confidential information about Google’s supercomputing data centers, began uploading hundreds of files into a personal Google Cloud account two years ago. He was later offered a position as CTO at a Chinese tech company and also founded a China-based startup. Ding did not disclose these affiliations to Google and resigned from the company in late December. Google officials later discovered that he had presented as CEO of one of the Chinese companies at an investor conference in Beijing.
Key takeaways:
- A former Google software engineer, Linwei Ding, has been charged with stealing artificial intelligence technology from Google while secretly working with two China-based companies.
- Ding was arrested on four counts of federal trade secret theft, each punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
- The indictment alleges that Ding began uploading hundreds of files into a personal Google Cloud account two years ago and did not disclose his affiliations with the Chinese companies to Google.
- Justice Department leaders have been warning about the threat of Chinese economic espionage and the national security concerns posed by advancements in artificial intelligence.