A federal jury in San Francisco has convicted a former Google software engineer on charges of economic espionage and theft of trade secrets tied to the company’s artificial intelligence research, in what federal officials described as the first U.S. conviction involving AI-related economic espionage.
Linwei Ding, 38 — also known as Leon Ding — was found guilty on seven counts of economic espionage and seven counts of theft of trade secrets following an 11-day trial, according to announcements from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Prosecutors said the case marks a milestone in efforts to combat the theft of sensitive AI technology amid intensifying global competition, according to reports.
Authorities alleged that between May 2022 and April 2023, Ding exploited his position at Google to steal more than 2,000 pages of confidential documents containing proprietary AI trade secrets. The materials were allegedly uploaded from Google’s internal network to Ding’s personal Google Cloud account and later shared with two Chinese technology companies, actions prosecutors said benefited the People’s Republic of China.
Ding, a Chinese national who joined Google in 2019, was also accused of quietly pursuing opportunities connected to Chinese interests while still employed at the company. Prosecutors pointed to discussions about a potential chief technology officer role at a Chinese AI startup that reportedly began shortly after the alleged thefts commenced.
Federal officials framed the case as emblematic of broader national security concerns surrounding artificial intelligence. U.S. intelligence and defense agencies have repeatedly warned that China and other foreign powers are aggressively seeking to obtain American intellectual property — particularly in advanced fields such as AI — to accelerate their own technological development and erode U.S. strategic advantages.
U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian emphasized those stakes following the verdict. “Silicon Valley is at the forefront of artificial intelligence innovation, pioneering transformative work that drives economic growth and strengthens our national security. The jury delivered a clear message today that the theft of this valuable technology will not go unpunished. 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,” Missakian said.
Ding faces substantial prison exposure. Each count of theft of trade secrets carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and significant fines, while each economic espionage count is punishable by up to 15 years. He is scheduled to appear for a status conference on Feb. 3, 2026.
The verdict comes on the heels of another Chinese spy scandal involving the United States Navy. Earlier in January, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in a Monday statement said Jinchao Wei was an “active-duty U.S. Navy sailor betrayed his country and compromised the national security of the United States” by selling military secrets to a Chinese intelligence officer.
Legal and national security experts say the conviction is likely a sign of things to come. As U.S.–China competition in artificial intelligence accelerates — echoing earlier battles over semiconductors and other critical technologies — federal prosecutors are expected to pursue more cases aimed at deterring the theft of high-value American innovation.
