Former Google software engineer Linwei Ding, 38, was found guilty by a federal jury of economic espionage and trade secret theft. Ding's systematic theft of more than 2,000 pages of private Google AI documentation meant to help the People's Republic of China (PRC) is the basis for the conviction. Following an 11-day trial before U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria, the jury found 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. Learn more about VPN services MacOS security software for cybersecurity Trade secret theft convictions carry a maximum sentence of 10 years per count, while economic espionage counts carry a maximum sentence of 15 years.

Theft Timeline and Methodology Ding gained access to Google's network between May 2022 and April 2023 while working there, and he stole private documents that described Google's cutting-edge AI infrastructure. He controlled a personal Google Cloud account where he uploaded the pilfered materials. The data exfiltration was completed when Ding downloaded the stolen trade secrets onto his personal computer in December 2023, a few weeks prior to his resignation from Google.

While employed by Google, Ding maintained undisclosed relationships with PRC-based technology entities. He started talks to become the Chief Technology Officer of an early-stage PRC technology company around June 2022. By early 2023, Ding was simultaneously founding his own PRC-based AI and machine learning startup while serving as its CEO.

Referencing stolen architectural specifications, Ding made it clear in investor presentations that he could quickly create an AI supercomputer by copying and altering Google's proprietary technology. Ding was strategically in line with PRC government goals, according to evidence presented during the trial. With the goal of "helping China achieve computing power infrastructure capabilities on par with international levels," Ding submitted an application for Shanghai's government-sponsored talent recruitment program towards the end of 2023.

Learn more Feeds of threat intelligence Reports on security vulnerabilities Software for detecting malware Seven distinct categories of crucial AI infrastructure—hardware, software platforms, custom chip designs, and high-speed communication systems—were the focus of his pilfered materials. These categories are all necessary for training sophisticated AI models.

Ding's actions, according to the prosecution, put American technological competitiveness and national security at risk by giving Chinese government-controlled organizations access to advanced AI infrastructure knowledge. According to US Attorney Craig H. Missakian, the conviction shows how dedicated the federal government is to defending Silicon Valley's intellectual property against foreign espionage activities. On February 3, 2026, Ding will hold a status conference.

Sentencing will take into account 18 U.S.C. § 3553, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, LinkedIn, and X for daily cybersecurity updates. To have your stories featured, get in touch with us.