The U.S. Justice Department has announced that charges have been filed against former Google software engineer Linwei Ding for his involvement in the theft of artificial intelligence trade secrets while covertly working for China-based technology firms, reports The Associated Press.
Information regarding Google's supercomputing data centers has been allegedly pilfered by Ding to his personal Google Cloud Account beginning in 2022, or three years after being employed by Google, according to the indictment.
Ding was later noted to have been appointed as a chief technology officer at an early-stage AI company, as well as begun a new startup training large AI models, both of which are in China. Ding could face up to 40 years imprisonment if found guilty of the charges. "Today's charges are the latest illustration of the lengths affiliates of companies based in the People's Republic of China are willing to go to steal American innovation. The theft of innovative technology and trade secrets from American companies can cost jobs and have devastating economic and national security consequences," said FBI Director Christopher Wray.
