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A former CIA officer told senators Wednesday that a Google engineer who stole cutting-edge AI secrets for China went on to use the technology to build a company.
The testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee comes as lawmakers warn of growing national security threats tied to Chinese intellectual property theft in critical technologies like artificial intelligence.
President Donald Trump has made AI a cornerstone of his policy agenda, calling for a single federal regulatory framework instead of a patchwork of state laws. His administration has also pushed to accelerate data center development and strengthen U.S. competitiveness against China.
Tom Lyons, with more than 20 years of experience in the U.S. government and private sector on Chinese economic espionage, told lawmakers the deck is stacked against American companies.
EX-GOOGLE ENGINEER FOUND GUILTY OF STEALING AI SECRETS FOR CHINESE COMPANIES
An ex-Google employee was convicted on charges he stole AI secrets for Chinese firms. (400tmax/Getty Images)
“American firms are not competing against Chinese rivals in any normal sense,” Lyons said. “They are competing against the largest intelligence apparatus in the world, one whose mission includes putting American companies out of business.”
“This is not GM versus Ford,” he told lawmakers in his opening remarks. “This is a U.S. startup versus the resources of China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army.”
Lyons cautioned that the current approach leaves companies largely on their own to counter state-backed threats, treating what he described as a national security issue as a corporate compliance problem.
His warning reflects concerns raised by a recent high-profile case involving a former Google employee stealing secrets for China.
AMERICA MUST POWER AI WITH SPEED AND DISCIPLINE — OR CHINA WILL DOMINATE
The Central Intelligence Agency seal is displayed in the lobby of CIA Headquarters in Langley, Va., on…
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