Occurrences
Divisions
Performances
Occurrences
Divisions
Performances
Ex-Google engineer accused of pilfering AI confidential data and trading them to Chinese technology corporations
Linwei Ding, who used to work as a software engineer at Google, is accused of unlawfully obtaining more than 500 exclusive files of classified data from Google and trading it to a Chinese firm. While still employed at Google's US campus, Ding secured a position as a CTO at a tech firm based in China.
On Wednesday, it was disclosed by the Justice Department that Linwei Ding, also recognized as Leon Ding, a previous software engineer at Google, has been charged for purportedly pilfering artificial intelligence proprietary information from the corporation. Ding, who is originally from China, was caught in Newark, California, and is facing four charges of federal trade secret theft. Each charge could result in a sentence of up to a decade in prison.
During a conference held by the American Bar Association in San Francisco, Attorney General Merrick Garland unveiled the accusations, highlighting continuous worries about Chinese economic spying and the potential threats to national security due to progress in artificial intelligence and other up-and-coming technologies.
Christopher Wray, the head of the FBI, highlighted the seriousness of the matter by saying, "The recent allegations highlight the extent to which Chinese company affiliates are prepared to go to pilfer American ingenuity." Wray stressed the negative effect this kind of theft has on US employment and its substantial implications for both economic and national security.
Google has confirmed that it discovered an employee stealing "multiple documents" and immediately notified the relevant law enforcement agencies.
Google representative Jose Castaneda confirmed the strict protocols the company has implemented to hinder any unauthorized sharing of its private business data and proprietary knowledge. Castaneda stressed that, after a thorough probe, it became evident that the employee had illegally acquired various documents, leading Google to promptly engage with law enforcement authorities. He thanked the FBI for their help in protecting Google's data and reaffirmed the company's dedication to continuous cooperation with law enforcement.
In the highly competitive field of advanced technology, artificial intelligence acts as a key battleground for competitors, having substantial impact on business profitability and safety.
The charges revealed on Wednesday in California's Northern District accuse Linwei Ding, a Google employee since 2019 with access to confidential data about the company's high-performance computing centers, of unlawfully moving hundreds of files to a personal Google Cloud account two years prior.
Prosecutors claim that soon after the theft began, a nascent tech company in China proposed Linwei Ding to be their chief technology officer. The firm emphasized their application of AI technology and lured Ding with a monthly wage of around $14,800, in addition to a yearly bonus and shares in the company.
The charges detail that Ding went to China, participated in company investor gatherings, and attempted to garner funds for the company's functioning. Moreover, he founded and took on the position of CEO in another startup located in China, centered on educating big AI models using high-powered computing chips.
Interestingly, Ding failed to inform Google about his associations with these Chinese firms, which was discovered during the probe that he was a lower-level worker. He stepped down from his position at Google on December 26th.
Soon after he left, Google authorities found out that Ding had posed as the CEO of a Chinese firm at an investment meeting in Beijing, just three days subsequent to his departure. In addition, security camera recordings showed that another worker was using Ding's access card at Google's US site to give the impression that Ding was present at work, when he was, in fact, in China.
After discovering these inconsistencies, Google revoked Ding's network access, remotely secured his laptop, and started scrutinizing his past network activities. Following this, in January, the FBI carried out a search warrant at Ding's home, confiscating his electronic gadgets. A separate warrant was granted to access the data in Ding's personal accounts, which exposed more than 500 distinct files of confidential data purportedly pilfered from Google.
(Incorporating information from various sources)
Search for us on YouTube
Headline Shows
Correlated News
Following fatalities, an Indian student is now unaccounted for in the US: What's happening?
A Chinese individual collaborates with a Canadian to pilfer Tesla's battery technology; they start their own business but are apprehended in the US
AI illusions can be resolved, fully autonomous artificial intelligence is roughly five years away: says NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang
'US needs to halt aid to Ukraine…China won't invade Taiwan': John Mearsheimer informs Palki Sharma
Following fatalities, an Indian student is now missing in the US: What's happening?
A Chinese individual teams up with a Canadian to pilfer Tesla's battery tech; they initiate their own enterprise but are detained in the US
AI delusions can be remedied, comprehensive artificial intelligence is about half a decade away: states NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang
'US must cease support to Ukraine…China isn't going to assault Taiwan': John Mearsheimer conveys to Palki Sharma
is available on YouTube.
All rights reserved by Firstpost, copyright 2024.
+ There are no comments
Add yours