Google AI Bolsters Chrome Scam Protection
Google is enhancing its Chrome browser's defenses against online scams by integrating new AI-powered tools. Announced recently, these updates leverage Google's advanced AI, including the on-device model Gemini Nano, to provide users with more robust protection against evolving cyber threats.
Enhanced Desktop Security with Gemini Nano
A key update is the deployment of Gemini Nano, Google's efficient on-device large language model (LLM), to Chrome on desktop. This will specifically benefit users of Chrome's Enhanced Protection mode for Safe Browsing. Google highlights that this mode already offers double the protection against phishing and other online threats compared to the Standard Protection mode. The addition of Gemini Nano introduces another layer of security.
This on-device approach allows Chrome to analyze potentially risky websites in real-time, offering immediate insights and protection, even against novel scam tactics. "Gemini Nano’s LLM is perfect for this use because of its ability to distill the varied, complex nature of websites, helping us adapt to new scam tactics more quickly,” Google stated in their announcement. Initially, this AI-powered defense is targeting remote tech support scams, with plans to expand its capabilities to cover more scam types and extend to Android devices.
AI-Powered Warnings for Android Notifications
Recognizing that scam attempts can also originate from website notifications, Google is launching new AI-powered warnings for Chrome on Android. Malicious sites often use notifications to push scams or misleading information. Chrome will now use an on-device machine learning model to identify potentially harmful notifications.
Image Credits: Google
When a notification is flagged as suspicious, users will receive a warning. They will then have the option to unsubscribe from the notifications or view the blocked content. If a user believes a warning is incorrect, they can choose to allow future notifications from that site.
Broader AI Efforts in Scam Detection
These Chrome-specific updates are part of Google's wider strategy of using AI to combat online scams. The company shared that its AI systems already play a crucial role in Search, detecting and blocking hundreds of millions of scammy results daily. These AI-driven detection systems have reportedly increased the identification of scammy pages by twentyfold.
As an example of its success, Google mentioned a significant reduction in scams where bad actors impersonate airline customer service agents. By leveraging AI, Google has cut down these types of scams by over 80%, thereby minimizing the risk of users encountering fraudulent phone numbers through Search.
These advancements underscore Google's commitment to leveraging AI to create a safer online environment for its users, adapting quickly to the ever-changing landscape of digital threats.
