Ex-Google engineer charged with stealing AI trade secrets while working with Chinese companies

[mountaineer]

This will come as a complete surprise to ... no one.

Ex-Google engineer charged with stealing AI trade secrets while working with Chinese companies
By ERIC TUCKER
Updated 5:21 PM EST, March 6, 2024

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former software engineer at Google has been charged with stealing artificial intelligence trade secrets from the company while secretly working with two companies based in China, the Justice Department said Wednesday.

Linwei Ding, a Chinese national, was arrested in Newark, California, on four counts of federal trade secret theft, each punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The case against Ding was announced at an American Bar Association Conference in San Francisco by Attorney General Merrick Garland, who along with other law enforcement leaders has repeatedly warned about the threat of Chinese economic espionage and about the national security concerns posed by advancements in artificial intelligence and other developing technologies.  ...

Associated Press

[mountaineer]

Brian Costello
@bpcostello
The arrest of Linwei Ding, a 38-year-old ex-Google employee, yesterday, who was charged with counts of stealing trade secrets in critical AI technology areas from Google, is more important than most people realize.

He is accused of secretly collaborating with two China-based tech companies. One of those companies, Beijing Rongshu Lianzhi Technology, counts Ant Technology as a large shareholder and owner.
10:59 AM · Mar 7, 2024

Indictment at https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1341356/dl?inline