Google Chrome is getting a new anti scam feature

As online frauds evolve and become more complex, major corporations continue to create new scam detection techniques. Google has already released a new AI-powered scam detection system for its Pixel phones, and there are signs that it is investigating the use of AI to address this issue in its Chrome browser.

X user Leopeva64 spotted a new Chrome flag in Canary, an experimental version of Chrome. The indicator indicates that the browser will employ AI to analyse the content and intent of websites in order to detect fraudulent activity. This follows Microsoft's recent release of a'scareware blocker' for its Edge browser that detects scams using machine learning.

The Chrome feature, called 'Client Side Detection Brand and Intent for Scam Detection,' claims to employ a large language model (LLM) to evaluate the branding and purpose of online pages. It seeks to identify dubious websites that may impersonate legitimate brands or attempt to steal personal information. By performing the analysis locally on devices, the functionality avoids the privacy risks associated with cloud-based solutions.

Canary is a beta version of Google Chrome that allows developers and tech enthusiasts to test out new features before they are published to the public. These capabilities are available via flags, which are hidden settings that enable tools that are currently in development.

This AI-powered fraud detection is currently in the experimental stage, and there is no assurance it will make it into the stable version of Chrome. However, if widely adopted, it could be an effective tool for improving security for daily users.