A former Google engineer is facing charges for allegedly stealing sensitive artificial intelligence (AI) trade secrets with the intention of sharing them with China. The engineer, who began working for Google in 2019, was identified as Leon Ding and was arrested near his California home.
An indictment unsealed in California revealed that Ding illicitly obtained hundreds of files from Google, transferring them to his personal account. During this time, he was in communication with technology companies linked to the Chinese Communist government.
