Ex-Google Engineer Arrested for Stealing AI Trade Secrets

Imagine working at one of the biggest tech companies in the world, only to get caught red-handed stealing their prized AI tech for rivals overseas. That's exactly what happened to Linwei Ding, a 38-year-old software engineer from China who used to be on Google's payroll. This story out of San Francisco is a real eye-opener about the shadowy side of the tech arms race.

Ding joined Google back in 2019, living in Newark, California, and helping build their massive supercomputing systems for AI. But things went south when he started secretly moonlighting for two Chinese companies, one he even founded in Beijing. Over about a year, from May 2022 to April 2023, he snuck out more than 500 confidential files packed with trade secrets. We're talking detailed blueprints on how Google powers its AI operations, all uploaded to his personal cloud while he was still clocked in at the office.

Prosecutors say he aimed to give those Chinese firms a leg up in the AI game, which could hurt U.S. tech dominance. The trial lasted 11 days in federal court, and yesterday, on January 29, 2026, a jury hit him with guilty verdicts on all 14 counts: seven for economic espionage and seven for theft of trade secrets. Each espionage charge could mean up to 15 years behind bars, plus hefty fines.

It's tough to think about, but cases like this make you wonder how many other insiders might be playing both sides in this global tech tussle.

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