Artificial Intelligence: Former Google employee is said to have stolen AI technology

The US justice system accuses a former Google software developer of stealing data for the development of artificial intelligence while secretly working for Chinese companies. The suspect, a Chinese citizen residing in California, was arrested in the city of Newark, the US Department of Justice said. He is charged with four counts of theft of trade secrets at the federal level. He faces up to ten years in prison for each individual charge.

“The Department of Justice will not tolerate the theft of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies that could threaten our national security,” said US Attorney General Merrick Garland. “We will vigorously protect sensitive technologies developed in America from falling into the hands of those who should not have them.”

The Northern Judicial District of California has now initiated criminal proceedings against the 38-year-old defendant. According to the indictment, Google hired him in 2019. He had access to secret information about the company’s high-performance data centers. Two years ago, he is said to have started uploading hundreds of files to a private Google Cloud account.

FBI warns of devastating consequences of technology theft

A few weeks after the alleged theft began, the software developer was offered a position as technology director in a tech company that was still being set up in his home country of China . This company advertised its use of AI technology. According to the indictment, the suspect traveled to China, attended investor meetings and attempted to raise capital for the company.

At the same time, he founded a start-up company based in China and worked as its managing director. The company sought to build “large AI models” that would be “powered by high-performance chips,” the indictment said. He did not disclose his sideline activities to Google. At the end of December he resigned from Google. Days later, Google managers discovered the former employee’s connections to companies in China.

“Today’s indictments are the latest example of how far partners of Chinese companies are willing to go to steal American innovation,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. He warned: “The theft of innovative technology and trade secrets from American companies can cost jobs and have devastating economic and national security consequences.”

The US justice system accuses a former Google software developer of stealing data for the development of artificial intelligence while secretly working for Chinese companies. The suspect, a Chinese citizen residing in California, was arrested in the city of Newark, the US Department of Justice said. He is charged with four counts of theft of trade secrets at the federal level. He faces up to ten years in prison for each individual charge.

“The Department of Justice will not tolerate the theft of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies that could threaten our national security,” said US Attorney General Merrick Garland. “We will vigorously protect sensitive technologies developed in America from falling into the hands of those who should not have them.”

SOURCE