Former Google Engineer Indicted for Alleged Theft of AI Secrets in China

A former Google engineer, Linwei Ding, who was indicted by the US Department of Justice, faces allegations of stealing confidential AI technology while working for tech firms in China. The DOJ unsealed the indictment on Wednesday, charging Ding, also known as Leon Ding, with four counts of theft of trade secrets.

The charges involve Ding pilfering “cutting-edge” technology from Google’s AI program to establish a competing business in China. According to statements from the Justice Department on Wednesday, he is also accused of clandestinely collaborating with two Chinese companies while still employed at Google.

Ding, a 38 year old Chinese, faces four counts of federal trade secret theft according to the Justice Department.

Attorney General Merrick Garland made an unusual announcement during the American Bar Association’s annual white-collar crime conference in San Francisco: He disclosed the charges against Ding. 

Garland highlighted the importance of the case, highlighting the US’s determination to disrupt China’s efforts to advance its AI industry through the misappropriation of technology developed by American firms, which have invested resources in its development.

Attempts to reach Ding for comment were unsuccessful, as no response was received via the provided email address. Information regarding Ding’s legal representation was not immediately accessible. According to prosecutors, Ding established a clandestine startup in China without Google’s knowledge. 

Google’s spokesperson, José Castañeda, expressed gratitude to the FBI for their assistance in safeguarding the company’s information and reiterated Google’s commitment to cooperating closely with law enforcement. 

Castañeda said that Google has stringent measures in place to prevent the theft of confidential commercial data and trade secrets, stating that upon investigation, it was determined that Ding had illicitly acquired numerous documents, prompting the referral of the case to law enforcement.

According to the indictment, Ding transferred confidential Google files to his personal Google Cloud account over a one-year period from May 2022 to May 2023. 

The indictment alleges that Ding concealed his associations with these firms from Google and took measures to conceal his travel to China, such as having a colleague swipe his access badge at Google’s offices when Ding was abroad.

Castañeda emphasized that the incident involving Ding was isolated, involving only a single junior employee, and not indicative of a broader issue within the company. 

According to the indictment, Ding, a Chinese national residing in Newark, joined Google in 2019 as a software engineer tasked with developing software for the company’s supercomputing data centers. His role granted him authorized access to Google’s confidential information concerning hardware infrastructure, software platforms, and AI models and applications.

Federal prosecutors revealed an email from June 2022 in which the CEO of a Chinese tech company offered Ding a chief technology officer position with a monthly salary of $14,800. While in China from October 2022 to March 2023, Ding engaged in meetings to secure funding for the tech company, and by May 2023, he established his own AI startup in China, serving as its acting CEO.

If convicted, Ding will have a potential penalty of $250,000 for each count and potentially 10 years in prison. 

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