Security News > 2024 > March > Chinese chap charged with stealing Google’s AI datacenter secrets

The US Department of Justice on Wednesday revealed an indictment that charges a former Google employee with leaking the ad giant's AI tech to two Chinese companies - after easily defeating the Big G's security controls.

The indictment names Linwei Ding, aka Leon Ding, and states that during his time at Google his job involved "Development of software that allowed GPUs to function efficiently for machine learning, AI applications, or other purposes required by Google or Google Cloud clients."

Ding, a Chinese citizen, was authorized to access Google confidential blueprints related to its datacenters, including hardware infrastructure, the software platform, and the AI models and applications they supported.

Prosecutors allege [PDF] Ding copied the contents of Google source files into the Apple Notes application on his Google-issued MacBook laptop, then converted the Notes files into PDFs that he uploaded into a Google Cloud account he operated.

In June 2022 Ding was approached by a Chinese AI startup called Beijing Rongshu Lianzhi Technology Co Ltd and offered a job as its Chief Technology Officer, or so Uncle Sam says.

In December 2023, while Ding was in China and still employed by the American web giant, Google spotted him uploading more stolen documents to a Google Drive account, it is claimed.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/03/07/doj_google_ai_theft_indictment/