TLDR:
Former Google engineer Linwei Ding was indicted for stealing over 500 confidential Google documents, including trade secrets, to aid Chinese AI firms. Ding uploaded files to a personal Google cloud account and exfiltrated data by converting notes into PDF files. He was offered a CTO job with a Chinese company and founded a company called Zhisuan to develop a cluster management system. Ding booked a one-way flight to Beijing, resigned from Google, and was found presenting as the CEO of Zhisuan at an investor conference. Google security personnel retrieved his company laptop and mobile device, and the FBI secured electronic devices and evidence. U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey stated that by stealing Google’s trade secrets, Ding gave himself and Chinese companies an unfair competitive advantage in the AI sector.
Key Elements:
- Former Google engineer Linwei Ding indicted for stealing over 500 confidential Google documents
- Ding uploaded files to a personal Google cloud account and exfiltrated data by converting notes into PDF files
- Ding was offered a CTO job with a Chinese company and founded a company called Zhisuan
- Google security personnel retrieved Ding’s company laptop and mobile device, and the FBI secured electronic devices and evidence
- U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey stated that by stealing Google’s trade secrets, Ding gave himself and Chinese companies an unfair competitive advantage in the AI sector
Former Google engineer Linwei Ding was indicted in California for stealing trade secrets related to AI technologies to benefit Chinese companies. Ding uploaded over 500 unique files containing Google’s confidential information to a personal Google cloud account. He exfiltrated the files by converting data from Google source files in Apple Notes into PDFs to evade detection. Ding later founded a company called Zhisuan and was offered a CTO job with a Chinese company. Google detected Ding’s unauthorized activity while he was in China and later found him presenting as the CEO of Zhisuan at an investor conference. Google security personnel retrieved his company laptop and mobile device, and the FBI secured electronic devices and evidence. U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey stated that by stealing Google’s trade secrets, Ding gave himself and Chinese companies an unfair competitive advantage in the AI sector.