A former Google software engineer has been indicted on charges of stealing artificial intelligence trade secrets for Chinese companies, as announced by the Justice Department. Linwei Ding, who holds Chinese citizenship, was apprehended in Newark, California, facing four counts of trade secret theft, with each count carrying a potential 10-year prison term.

The charges were unveiled by Attorney General Merrick Garland during an event at the American Bar Association Conference in San Francisco. This incident underscores ongoing concerns voiced by U.S. officials about Chinese economic espionage and the security risks posed by new technological advancements, including AI.

FBI Director Christopher Wray emphasized the serious implications of such espionage on American innovation, economic stability, and national security. Google discovered the breach and informed law enforcement that Ding had misappropriated numerous documents.

Google’s spokesperson, Jose Castaneda, highlighted the company’s commitment to safeguarding its confidential information and trade secrets, expressing gratitude towards the FBI for their support.

The increasing importance of artificial intelligence in global technological competition, with significant implications for commercial success and security, has led the Justice Department to prioritize AI enforcement. Recent statements from Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco and Director Wray have pointed out the potential misuse of AI by foreign adversaries, including interference in American politics.

Garland stressed the dual nature of AI technology, noting its potential benefits and risks. The indictment reveals that Ding, employed by Google since 2019 and privy to sensitive data on the company’s supercomputing data centers, began transferring hundreds of files to a personal cloud account two years later. Shortly after, he was offered a role as CTO at a Chinese AI technology company, where he did not disclose his Google employment.

Ding also founded a startup in China aiming to develop AI models with supercomputing chips. His resignation from Google was followed by revelations of his activities in China, prompting Google to suspend his access and the FBI to seize his devices and personal accounts, which contained stolen Google documents. Ding’s legal representation has not been disclosed.