Charges the United States made against a former Apple software engineer accusing him of attempting to steal the company's self-driving technology and fleeing to China in 2018 send a message, industry and legal experts say: Investment in emerging technology is crucial, but the industry must be proactive against security risks.
The timing of the charges against Weibao Wang, who according to multiple news reports left Apple to work at Jidu, an electric vehicle startup jointly owned by Chinese tech giant Baidu and automaker Geely, is linked to the role artificial intelligence may play in U.S. national security, experts say. AI's place in the U.S. will likely become more prominent as provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act give American companies incentives to nearshore portions of their supply chain from China, they said.
"It's a signal from the Biden administration that these types of risks are going to get increased attention," said Nathan Picarsic, co-founder of Horizon Advisory, a geopolitical consultancy that focuses on China.