Former Google software engineer Linwei Ding has been arrested and charged with stealing trade secrets related to artificial intelligence (AI) from Google while secretly working with two Chinese firms, Associated Press reports.
Ding, a Chinese national, faces four counts of federal trade secret theft, each carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The indictment alleges that Ding began uploading hundreds of confidential files to his personal Google Cloud account two years ago. He later joined a Chinese technology company as its chief technology officer, concealing this affiliation from Google. He also founded a startup in China focused on AI technology.
Google discovered the theft and referred the matter to law enforcement. Ding resigned from Google in December and was found to have presented as CEO of one of the Chinese companies at an investor conference in Beijing. Authorities seized Ding’s electronic devices and personal accounts, finding over 500 files of confidential information stolen from Google.
