Ex-Google software engineer charged with stealing AI technology while working with Chinese companies

By ERIC TUCKER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department says a former software  engineer at Google has been charged with stealing artificial intelligence technology from the company while secretly working with two companies based in China. Linwei Ding was arrested in Newark, California, on four counts of federal trade secret theft. The case against Ding was being announced at an American Bar Association Conference in San Francisco by Attorney General Merrick Garland, who along with other law enforcement leaders has repeatedly warned about the threat of Chinese economic espionage and about the national security concerns posed by advancements in artificial intelligence. It was not immediately clear whether Ding has a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.