More than $10,000 worth of equipment stolen from the Friend Center lab

Princeton’s Vision and Learning Lab, led by Professor Jia Deng, had several thousand dollars worth of computer equipment stolen on October 26 at the Friend Center.

Six Nvidia RTX 4090 Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) were stolen from the laboratory. GPUs are a type specialized processor, originally designed to accelerate graphics, today used in machine learning, video editing and gaming applications, as well as in artificial intelligence (AI) production. With each GPU estimated to cost about $1,800, the stolen equipment had a total value of about $10,800, according to Lahav Lipson GS, a current Ph.D. student at the Vision and Learning Lab.

Lipson wrote in an email to The Daily Princetonian that he and his colleagues were “very surprised” by the theft of the GPUs, noting that “people leave expensive equipment unattended at the Friend Center all the time with no problem.”

Prior to the theft, he noted that the lab had debated purchasing a “computer cage” to protect the GPUs, allowing them to keep the equipment “under lock and key.” But ultimately the researchers decided against it because it “sounded ridiculous” at the time, Lipson wrote. However, he admitted that in hindsight it would have been “the smartest thing to do.”

The theft was reported to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) on October 26 at 2:31 p.m. crime logsand is estimated to have occurred between 4:00 PM on October 25 and 2:00 PM on October 26. In his lab’s Slack channel, Deng asked other members “to help limit the time interval of the theft,” according to screenshots. obtained by the ‘Prince.’ At least one member of the laboratory reported that they did not see anyone enter the laboratory between 7:15 PM and 8:40 PM on October 25.

When asked about steps the Vision and Learning Lab would take to prevent theft in the future, Lipson wrote that he didn’t feel “much wants or needs to change” in terms of lab security, other than fact that the researchers “better secure (their) desktop computers.” He explained that the nature of the equipment itself, and not just its security or lab practices, contributed to the theft because, compared to other equipment, “GPUs are particularly vulnerable to theft” because they are “highly be valuable, light and lightweight. and easy to sell.”

Deng, the head of the laboratory, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

DPS has opened an investigation into the theft of the GPUs, which is still ongoing.

When the “Prince” was asked for comment, university spokesperson Jennifer Morrill wrote, “This theft has been reported to DPS and the incident is under investigation. As this is an open investigation, we cannot comment further on it. We encourage all members of our community to read the safety and security tips on our website and to contact the department at 609-258-1000 if you have any information regarding this incident.

Leela Hensler is a news contributor to the ‘Prince’.

Send corrections to corrections(at)dailyprincetonian.com.

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