Ex-Apple employee accused of stealing trade secrets is exec at Baidu self-driving car joint venture

On Tuesday, the U.S. authorities accused a erstwhile Apple employee, Weibao Wang, of stealing commercialized secrets from the company's self-driving car division, including the entirety of Apple's "autonomous" root code.

The U.S. authorities did not place successful the charging documents who Wang works for now, but according to Reuters and several company profiles, Wang is an enforcement astatine Jidu, an electrical conveyance associated task betwixt Chinese net institution Baidu and Chinese car shaper Geely.

The U.S. authorities is concerned that the Chinese authorities is utilizing assorted tactics to bargain proprietary accusation from American companies, including "corrupting insiders." Tuesday's announcement was portion of a Department of Justice task unit designed to "counter efforts by hostile nation-states to illicitly get delicate U.S technology."

Federal prosecutors person accused Wang of agreeing to enactment for a U.S. subsidiary of a Chinese automaker months earlier helium near Apple successful 2018, and of stealing privileged accusation dealing with Apple's autonomous systems development, allegedly to springiness to an unnamed Chinese company.

According to a since-deleted LinkedIn illustration that appeared successful a Chinese-language interview, aft Wang near Apple helium began moving astatine a healthcare AI steadfast called Singularity.AI, which has offices successful California and China. Following that, helium worked arsenic main exertion serviceman astatine a Chinese self-driving car company, Neolix. In 2021, Wang joined Jidu to tally the company's intelligent driving efforts.

In June 2018, instrumentality enforcement searched Wang's flat due to the fact that of Apple's suspicions implicit him taking interior Apple files. Wang purchased a summons and flew to China the aforesaid day, according to Tuesday's filing. Tuesday's charges suggest that Wang tin nary longer question to the U.S. without risking arrest.

Wang is the 3rd erstwhile Apple worker from China to beryllium accused of stealing commercialized secrets from Apple's self-driving car division. Xiaolang Zhang, who worked astatine Apple astir the aforesaid clip arsenic Wang, pled guilty to stealing commercialized secrets from Apple successful August. Another erstwhile Apple employee, Jizhong Chen, is besides facing charges, but a proceedings day for his lawsuit has yet to beryllium set.

Neither Zhang nor Chen were capable to permission the state earlier they were arrested separately successful 2018 and 2019, and Apple lawyers said successful 2019 that they were disquieted that they would fly to China.

Apple has reportedly been working connected a self-driving car since astatine slightest 2015, though it has ne'er discussed its goals oregon plans publically and nary Apple car has been announced. The astir nationalist motion of Apple's efforts is simply a fleet of cars with sensors for gathering data, which tin beryllium spotted driving astir immoderate California neighborhoods.

In February, Jidu confirmed that it plans to present its archetypal car this twelvemonth and that it plans to usage ChatGPT-like exertion successful its vehicles.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, which is prosecuting the case, declined to comment. An Apple typical declined to comment. Baidu and the FBI's San Francisco tract bureau did not instantly respond to requests for comment.