In the United States, a former Google engineer, Linwei Ding, has been accused of stealing trade secrets related to artificial intelligence (AI) and collaborating with Chinese technology companies, putting US national security at risk.
According to the four-count indictment, Ding, a Chinese national, is alleged to have stolen more than 500 confidential Google files containing critical information about supercomputer data centers used to develop and train large AI models. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.
Dean was hired by Google in 2019 and began uploading information to a personal account in May 2022. The indictment alleges that he worked for Beijing Rongshu Lianzhi Technology and founded his own tech firm in China, Shanghai Zhisuan Technology, without telling Google about his work at those companies.
The Linwei Ding case underscores the seriousness of the threats facing American technology companies from the potential leakage of confidential information and trade secrets. It also reflects tensions in the technology race between the US and China.
