The operation reveals a broader strategy: if you can't build it, take it. With a blend of state-run espionage and corporate infiltration, China has turned technology acquisition into an art form. Their 'all-of-the-above' approach has allowed their AI sector to grow even as export bans tighten. By sourcing the hardware from elsewhere, Beijing has made the lack of domestic chip manufacture moot.
"We are going to tear apart HI. It's going to be the easiest thing to do." That's Brandon Sterri texting his brothers on January 29. According to the complaint, Brandon and his brother Brian were, at that moment, still drawing paychecks from Human Interest, still logging into their company-issued laptops every morning beneath reminders that access was "limited to authorized personnel," and that they'd agreed "to protect confidential data."
Now the latest development is a lawsuit over corporate espionage in the AI industry. The AI data labeling company, which has provided training data to fuel many of the industry's leading AI models, filed a lawsuit Wednesday against a former employee, Eugene Ling, and his current employer, Mercor, which is one of Scale's key competitors. Scale alleged that Ling, who was its head of engagement management, stole more than 100 confidential documents that contained proprietary information and company strategies for managing customers.
OpenAI is implementing enhanced security measures to safeguard its intellectual property from corporate espionage, largely prompted by the release of a competing model by Chinese startup DeepSeek.
Keith O'Brien expressed his concerns regarding the influence of those involved in corporate espionage, emphasizing the significant power and wealth they wield, which leaves him feeling vulnerable.
