US authorities arrested a software engineer who formerly worked for Google on charges of stealing technology related to artificial intelligence technology secrets from the company, while he was secretly working for two Chinese companies, according to US Attorney General Merrick Garland.
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According to the statement issued by Garland, the defendant, 38-year-old Leon Deng, faces four charges of stealing professional secrets, noting that artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies could endanger national security, which makes the state never tolerate those who make mistakes.
The Accused Uploaded Google Files to His Private Cloud Account Since 2022
The indictment stated that Linwei Ding, who was employed by the American company Google in 2019, will be tried for secretly uploading more than 500 files to his private cloud account as of May 2022 related to research conducted by Google in the field of artificial intelligence.
It was later proven that he smuggled this sensitive information into the accounts of Chinese companies.
Speaking to Engadget, Google spokesman Jose Castañeda said:
We have strict safeguards in place to prevent the theft of our confidential business information and trade secrets. After investigation, we found that this employee had stolen several documents, and we quickly referred the case to law enforcement authorities.
Illegal Professional Activity of a Software Engineer Before His Dismissal
In June 2022, Ding received an offer from a Chinese company competing with Google, called (Rongshu), to fill the position of software engineer in the company.
Also in 2023, the accused engineer founded his own company, which he called (Zhisuan), and was also based in China. But he did not disclose either company to his primary workplace, Google, according to the indictment.
Technology Theft… a Chapter in The Game of The Cold War Between the Great Powers
For his part, FBI Director Christopher Wray said in the statement:
These charges are the latest example of the extent to which employees of companies based in the People’s Republic of China are willing to steal American inventions.
Each of the four charges against the engineer could be punished by up to ten years in prison and a fine of $250,000, according to the US Department of Justice.
Source: The Guardian
