Former Google Engineer Found Guilty of Stealing AI Trade Secrets for China

A federal jury has convicted Linwei Ding, 38, a former Google software engineer, on charges of economic espionage and trade secret theft.

The conviction stems from Ding’s systematic theft of over 2,000 pages of confidential Google artificial intelligence technology documentation intended to benefit the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

The jury reached its verdict after an 11-day trial before U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria, finding Ding guilty on seven counts of economic espionage under 18 U.S.C. § 1831 and seven counts of theft of trade secrets under 18 U.S.C. § 1832.

Each economic espionage count carries a maximum 15-year prison sentence, while trade secret theft convictions carry up to 10 years per count.

Theft Timeline and Methodology

Between May 2022 and April 2023, while employed at Google, Ding accessed the company’s network and exfiltrated confidential documentation detailing Google’s advanced AI infrastructure.

He uploaded the stolen materials to a personal Google Cloud account he controlled.

The compromised trade secrets encompassed Google’s custom Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) chip architecture, Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) systems integration, SmartNIC network interface card specifications, and proprietary software orchestrating supercomputer operations for large language model training.

In December 2023, just weeks before resigning from Google, Ding downloaded the stolen trade secrets onto his personal computer, completing the data exfiltration.

While employed by Google, Ding maintained undisclosed relationships with PRC-based technology entities. Around June 2022, he engaged in discussions to serve as Chief Technology Officer for an early-stage PRC technology company.

By early 2023, Ding was simultaneously founding his own PRC-based AI and machine learning startup while serving as its CEO.

In investor presentations, Ding explicitly stated he could rapidly develop an AI supercomputer by replicating and modifying Google’s proprietary technology, directly referencing stolen architectural specifications.

Evidence presented at trial demonstrated Ding’s strategic alignment with PRC government objectives. In late 2023, Ding applied for Shanghai’s government-sponsored talent recruitment program, stating his intention to “help China achieve computing power infrastructure capabilities on par with international levels.”

His stolen materials targeted seven specific categories of critical AI infrastructure technology: hardware, software platforms, custom chip designs, and high-speed communication systems essential for training advanced AI models.

Prosecutors emphasized that Ding’s actions threatened American technological competitiveness and national security by transferring cutting-edge AI infrastructure knowledge to entities controlled by the Chinese government.

United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian stated the conviction demonstrates federal commitment to protecting Silicon Valley’s intellectual capital from foreign espionage operations.

Ding is scheduled for a status conference on February 3, 2026. Sentencing will follow consideration of U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

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