Former Google Engineer Convicted of Stealing AI Trade Secrets for Chinese Startup

In a landmark case that underscores the intensifying global battle for artificial intelligence supremacy, a federal jury has convicted Linwei Ding, a former Google engineer, of economic espionage and theft of trade secrets. The verdict, announced Thursday by the U.S. Department of Justice, marks a significant victory in the ongoing effort to protect American intellectual property from foreign exploitation.

The Scheme That Shook Silicon Valley

Ding, also known as Leon Ding, orchestrated an elaborate operation to steal over 2,000 confidential Google documents detailing the company’s cutting-edge AI technology. The stolen information included blueprints for Google’s custom Tensor Processing Unit chips, Graphics Processing Unit systems, and the sophisticated software that enables these components to function as a unified supercomputer. These trade secrets were critical to Google’s dominance in AI development and represented years of research and billions in investment.

The theft occurred between May 2022 and April 2023 while Ding was employed at Google’s Silicon Valley headquarters. What makes this case particularly alarming is the methodical nature of the espionage. Ding didn’t simply download files—he employed a sophisticated cover-up strategy that involved converting source code into Apple Notes, transforming those notes into PDF files, and then uploading them to his personal Google Cloud account. This multi-step process was designed to evade Google’s security detection systems.

Building a Chinese AI Empire on Stolen Foundations

While working at Google, Ding simultaneously established connections with two Chinese technology companies. Most notably, he founded Shanghai Zhisuan Technologies Co. in 2023, positioning himself as CEO of an AI and machine learning startup. The timing is particularly damning—Ding downloaded the final batch of stolen documents in December 2023, less than two weeks before resigning from Google.

Court documents reveal that Ding was actively seeking investment for his Chinese venture as early as June 2022, when he began discussions to become Chief Technology Officer for another PRC-based technology company. By early 2023, he had fully committed to building his own AI enterprise, intending to leverage Google’s proprietary technology to establish China’s computing infrastructure capabilities “on par with the international level.”

Deception at Every Turn

The prosecution’s case painted a picture of calculated deception. Ding went to extraordinary lengths to maintain his cover at Google while orchestrating the theft. In one particularly brazen move, he arranged for another Google employee to use his company badge to scan into a Google building, creating the false impression that he was working from the office while he was actually in China.

The elaborate facade began to crumble in late 2023 when Google discovered that Ding had given a public presentation in China about his startup to potential investors. This revelation triggered an internal investigation that ultimately led to his arrest and the subsequent criminal charges.

National Security Implications

U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian emphasized the broader implications of the case, stating, “Silicon Valley is at the forefront of artificial intelligence innovation, pioneering transformative work that drives economic growth and strengthens our national security. We will vigorously protect American intellectual capital from foreign interests that seek to gain an unfair competitive advantage while putting our national security at risk.”

The Department of Justice’s superseding indictment in February 2025 added charges of economic espionage and revealed that Ding had applied to a Shanghai-based “talent” program sponsored by Beijing. These talent programs, according to prosecutors, are specifically designed to attract foreign researchers and developers to contribute to China’s technological advancement.

Evidence presented at trial showed Ding’s explicit intention to benefit entities controlled by the Chinese government by assisting with the development of an AI supercomputer and collaborating on custom machine learning chip research and development.

The Technology at Stake

The stolen documents contained highly sensitive information about Google’s AI infrastructure, including:

• Architecture and functionality of custom Tensor Processing Unit chips and systems
• Graphics Processing Unit systems critical for AI model training
• Software enabling chip-to-chip communication and task execution
• Cluster Management System (CMS) software for orchestrating thousands of chips
• Custom-designed SmartNIC network interface cards for high-speed communication

This technology represents the backbone of modern AI development, enabling the training of increasingly complex models that power everything from natural language processing to computer vision systems.

Sentencing and Broader Context

Ding faces severe penalties for his actions. He is scheduled to appear at a status conference on February 3, 2026, and could receive up to 10 years in prison for each count of theft of trade secrets and 15 years for each economic espionage count. The multiple charges reflect the seriousness with which the U.S. government views industrial espionage, particularly when it involves technologies critical to national security and economic competitiveness.

This case is part of a larger pattern of intellectual property theft that has become increasingly common as nations compete for technological supremacy. The artificial intelligence sector, in particular, has become a focal point of this competition, with AI capabilities increasingly viewed as essential to economic prosperity and military advantage in the 21st century.

The Global AI Arms Race

The conviction of Linwei Ding highlights the intensifying global competition in artificial intelligence development. As nations recognize AI’s transformative potential across every sector of the economy, the protection of AI-related intellectual property has become a matter of national security.

Silicon Valley companies, which have historically operated with a degree of openness and collaboration, are now forced to implement increasingly stringent security measures to protect their most valuable assets. The case also raises questions about the effectiveness of current background screening processes and the challenges of protecting trade secrets in an era of remote work and cloud computing.

Conclusion

The conviction of Linwei Ding serves as both a warning and a precedent. It demonstrates that the U.S. government is willing to pursue aggressive prosecution of those who steal American technological innovations, particularly when those thefts benefit foreign adversaries. At the same time, it highlights the ongoing challenges faced by technology companies in protecting their intellectual property in an increasingly interconnected and competitive global landscape.

As artificial intelligence continues to evolve and reshape industries worldwide, cases like this will likely become more frequent, prompting both stronger legal protections and more sophisticated security measures. The outcome of this case sends a clear message: the theft of American technological innovation will not be tolerated, and those who engage in such activities will face severe consequences.

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