In the United States, a former Google software engineer, Linwei Ding, also known as Leon Ding, has been charged with the theft of trade secrets related to artificial intelligence (AI). Ding, a Chinese national, allegedly stole over 500 confidential files while working for Google and secretly collaborating with two Chinese companies.
The charges were filed in California, and Ding was arrested on Wednesday.
The stolen information pertains to the infrastructure of Google’s supercomputing data centres, crucial for hosting and training large AI models.
Ding, who joined Google in 2019, is accused of beginning the unauthorized uploads to his personal Google account in May 2022, continuing periodically for a year, reports Reuters.
During this time, Ding reportedly spent several months in China, working for Beijing Rongshu Lianzhi Technology, a start-up that offered him $14,800 per month to serve as their Chief Technology Officer.
Additionally, Ding allegedly founded his own tech firm, Shanghai Zhisuan Technology, focusing on AI and machine learning
