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Ex-Google engineer accused of pilfering AI confidential data, trading them to Chinese tech firms
Linwei Ding, an ex-software engineer from Google, supposedly purloined more than 500 exclusive confidential files from Google and traded them to a firm in China. Ding accepted a position as a CTO at a technology firm based in China, while still being employed at Google, at one of their US campuses.
The Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that Linwei Ding, a previous software engineer at Google and also known as Leon Ding, has been charged with accusations of taking artificial intelligence proprietary information from the company. Ding, who is originally from China, was taken into custody in Newark, California, and is now facing four charges of federal trade secret theft. Each charge could lead to a maximum jail term of up to 10 years.
During an American Bar Association meeting in San Francisco, Attorney General Merrick Garland made public the accusations, highlighting continuous worries about Chinese financial spying and the threats to national security from developments in artificial intelligence and other novel technologies.
FBI Chief Christopher Wray emphasized the gravity of the circumstances, noting, "The current accusations serve as a recent example of the extreme measures associates of businesses located in the People's Republic of China are prepared to take to pilfer American ingenuity." Wray highlighted the damaging effects such thievery has on American employment, along with its considerable financial and national security consequences.
Google announced that it had detected an employee stealing "numerous documents" and immediately alerted the relevant law enforcement agencies.
Google representative, Jose Castaneda, has stated that the tech giant has rigorous systems in place to halt any unauthorized leaks of its confidential business details and proprietary knowledge. Castaneda stressed that after a thorough inquiry, it was found that an employee had unlawfully acquired several documents, leading Google to promptly alert the authorities. He thanked the FBI for their help in protecting Google's data and confirmed the company's dedication to continuous cooperation with law enforcement agencies.
In the fiercely contested field of advanced technology, artificial intelligence acts as a main battleground for competitors, carrying substantial consequences for both business prosperity and safety.
The charges revealed on Wednesday in California's Northern District claim that Linwei Ding, a Google employee since 2019 with access to confidential data related to the company's high-performance computing centers, started an unapproved transfer of hundreds of files to a private Google Cloud account two years prior.
Prosecutors reveal that Linwei Ding was presented with the role of chief technology officer at an emerging tech business in China, not long after the theft began. The company emphasized its utilization of AI technology to attract Ding, promising him a monthly wage of about $14,800, plus a yearly bonus and company shares.
The charges detail how Ding journeyed to China, participated in business investment meetings, and worked to raise funds for the company's activities. Furthermore, he founded and took on the position of CEO at a different startup in China, which concentrated on training extensive AI models using high-powered computing chips.
Significantly, Ding kept his association with these Chinese firms hidden from Google. His role as a low-ranking employee came to light during the investigation. Ding stepped down from his position at Google on December 26th.
Not long after he left, it was found by Google authorities that Ding had introduced himself as the chief executive of one of the Chinese firms at a financial event in Beijing just three days later. Moreover, security videos exposed that another staff member had been using Ding's entry pass at Google's American premises to give the impression that Ding was at work, when he was really in China.
When Google discovered these inconsistencies, they immediately disabled Ding's network access, remotely secured his laptop, and started reviewing his past network activities. Following this, in January, the FBI carried out a search warrant at Ding's home, confiscating his electronic equipment. A separate warrant was later issued to access Ding's personal accounts, which unveiled more than 500 individual files of confidential data purportedly pilfered from Google.
(Incorporating information from various sources)
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