Ex-Google engineer faces new US charges he stole AI secrets for Chinese companies
Feb 4 (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors on Tuesday unveiled an expanded 14-count indictment accusing former Google (GOOGL.O), opens new tab software engineer Linwei Ding of stealing artificial intelligence trade secrets to benefit two Chinese companies he was secretly working for.
Ding, 38, a Chinese national, was charged by a federal grand jury in San Francisco with seven counts each of economic espionage and theft of trade secrets.
Each economic espionage charge carries a maximum 15-year prison term and $5 million fine, while each trade secrets charge carries a maximum 10-year term and $250,000 fine.
The defendant, also known as Leon Ding, was indicted last March on four counts of theft of trade secrets. He is free on bond. Lawyers for Ding did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Ding's case was coordinated through an interagency Disruptive Technology Strike Force, opens new tab created in 2023 by the Biden administration.
The initiative was designed to help stop advanced technology from being acquired by countries such as China and Russia, or potentially threatening national security.
Prosecutors said Ding stole information about the hardware infrastructure and software platform that lets Google's supercomputing data centers train large AI models.
Some of the allegedly stolen chip blueprints were meant to give Google an edge over cloud computing rivals Amazon.com (AMZN.O), opens new tab and Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab, which design their own, and reduce Google's reliance on chips from Nvidia (NVDA.O), opens new tab.
Prosecutors said Ding joined Google in May 2019 and began his thefts three years later, when he was being courted to join an early-stage Chinese technology company.
Ding allegedly uploaded more than 1,000 confidential files by May 2023 and later circulated a PowerPoint presentation to employees of a China startup he founded, saying that country's policies encouraged development of a domestic AI industry.
Google was not charged and has said it cooperated with law enforcement.
According to court records describing a Dec. 18 hearing, prosecutors and defense lawyers discussed a "potential resolution" to Ding's case, "but anticipate the matter proceeding to trial."
The case is U.S. v. Ding, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 24-cr-00141.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
2 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
UK will handle US security concerns over new Chinese embassy plan, says Kyle
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle indicated the UK would offer a 'fulsome response' to any concerns raised by allies amid suggestions that US opposition could undermine transatlantic trade negotiations. Mr Kyle sought to reassure the public that the Government deals with similar 'infrastructure issues' relating to embassies 'all the time'. 'These issues will be taken care of assiduously in the planning process,' he told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme. He added: 'These are the issues that we talk about as two countries all the time… we're in the Five Eyes agreement, America and Britain share intelligence… If people raise security issues even though it relates to planning, then I'm sure we will have a fulsome response for them. 'But look, the key thing is these are issues which are quite routinised in the way that we deal with the security of our country.' A senior US official had told the Sunday Times: 'The United States is deeply concerned about providing China with potential access to the sensitive communications of one of our closest allies.' The matter is believed to have been discussed during US-UK trade talks, with diplomats saying the Trump administration would have reservations about intelligence sharing with the UK if the building went ahead. More than a thousand demonstrators gathered earlier this year for a rally against the proposed Chinese 'super-embassy' because of concerns about its potential proximity to Canary Wharf and the City of London. The redevelopment plans at the former site of the Royal Mint were 'called in' last year, which means the Government will make the final decision following a report from the Planning Inspectorate. The plan was initially refused by Tower Hamlets Council in 2022.
Rhyl Journal
3 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
UK will handle US security concerns over new Chinese embassy plan, says Kyle
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle indicated the UK would offer a 'fulsome response' to any concerns raised by allies amid suggestions that US opposition could undermine transatlantic trade negotiations. Mr Kyle sought to reassure the public that the Government deals with similar 'infrastructure issues' relating to embassies 'all the time'. 'These issues will be taken care of assiduously in the planning process,' he told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme. He added: 'These are the issues that we talk about as two countries all the time… we're in the Five Eyes agreement, America and Britain share intelligence… If people raise security issues even though it relates to planning, then I'm sure we will have a fulsome response for them. 'But look, the key thing is these are issues which are quite routinised in the way that we deal with the security of our country.' A senior US official had told the Sunday Times: 'The United States is deeply concerned about providing China with potential access to the sensitive communications of one of our closest allies.' The matter is believed to have been discussed during US-UK trade talks, with diplomats saying the Trump administration would have reservations about intelligence sharing with the UK if the building went ahead. More than a thousand demonstrators gathered earlier this year for a rally against the proposed Chinese 'super-embassy' because of concerns about its potential proximity to Canary Wharf and the City of London. The redevelopment plans at the former site of the Royal Mint were 'called in' last year, which means the Government will make the final decision following a report from the Planning Inspectorate. The plan was initially refused by Tower Hamlets Council in 2022.
Glasgow Times
3 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
UK will handle US security concerns over new Chinese embassy plan, says Kyle
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle indicated the UK would offer a 'fulsome response' to any concerns raised by allies amid suggestions that US opposition could undermine transatlantic trade negotiations. Mr Kyle sought to reassure the public that the Government deals with similar 'infrastructure issues' relating to embassies 'all the time'. 'These issues will be taken care of assiduously in the planning process,' he told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme. He added: 'These are the issues that we talk about as two countries all the time… we're in the Five Eyes agreement, America and Britain share intelligence… If people raise security issues even though it relates to planning, then I'm sure we will have a fulsome response for them. 'But look, the key thing is these are issues which are quite routinised in the way that we deal with the security of our country.' A senior US official had told the Sunday Times: 'The United States is deeply concerned about providing China with potential access to the sensitive communications of one of our closest allies.' The matter is believed to have been discussed during US-UK trade talks, with diplomats saying the Trump administration would have reservations about intelligence sharing with the UK if the building went ahead. More than a thousand demonstrators gathered earlier this year for a rally against the proposed Chinese 'super-embassy' because of concerns about its potential proximity to Canary Wharf and the City of London. The redevelopment plans at the former site of the Royal Mint were 'called in' last year, which means the Government will make the final decision following a report from the Planning Inspectorate. The plan was initially refused by Tower Hamlets Council in 2022.
