Yigit Taha OZTURK 
The U.S. Department of Justice has accused a former Google engineer of economic espionage, alleging that he stole the company’s AI trade secrets.
According to the 14-count indictment, Linwei (Leon) Ding uploaded over 1,000 confidential Google files to his personal Google Cloud account between May 2022 and May 2023. These files allegedly contained critical information about Google’s hardware infrastructure and software platform that supports the company’s AI supercomputing systems.
Secret Ties with Chinese Companies
Ding, who worked as a software engineer at Google since 2019, allegedly developed covert affiliations with Chinese tech firms as early as 2022.
The DOJ claims Ding stole sensitive details about Google’s custom-designed SmartNIC, Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), and Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) chips and systems.
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According to court documents, Ding began discussions with the chief technology officer of a Chinese technology company in June 2022. By May 2023, he had secretly founded his own AI and machine-learning company in China, where he served as CEO.
A Threat from Within Google!
U.S. officials allege that Ding created PowerPoint presentations for employees of his Chinese company, referencing China’s national policies and talent programs with statements such as:
“This will help China achieve computing power infrastructure capabilities on par with the international level.”
The case is currently being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Ding was first indicted in March 2024 on four counts of trade secret theft.
Now, facing seven counts of economic espionage and seven counts of trade secret theft, Ding could be sentenced to 175 years in prison and fined up to $36.75 million if convicted. However, the final sentence will depend on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal considerations.
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