Google's new AI feature for Chrome will sniff out scammy sites

It follows a similar addition to Microsoft Edge

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What's new? Google is rolling out an AI-powered system for its browser designed to sniff out scams and shady operations. The feature, dubbed Client Side Detection Brand and Intent for Scam Detection, debuted in the latest Canary builds of Chrome.

Chrome's new scam detection employs an on-device language model to scrutinize web pages on Windows, Mac, and Linux. The localized approach is essential because it helps Google avoid the potential privacy pitfalls of uploading your browsing data to the cloud. Your credentials and online activities should remain safely on your device instead of getting beamed up to Google's servers for processing.

Bolstering web security has always been challenging, but it's grown even more critical due to an explosion in cyber incidents. Microsoft's recent Digital Defense Report stated that over 600 million cybercriminal and nation-state attacks occur daily, targeting individuals, businesses, and governments alike.

Chrome's new feature bears some similarity to a "scareware blocker" Microsoft recently introduced for its Edge browser. Edge's tool utilizes AI to identify cyber scams and other malicious sites, just like Chrome's. However, Microsoft's version is opt-in, requiring users to enable it in their settings manually.

Microsoft is reeling with cybersecurity debacles. The Russian Nobelium hacking group managed to gain access to the company's corporate account for a month and exfiltrated executive email accounts. In light of the incident, CEO Satya Nadella underscored security as the company's "number one priority" last quarter.

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Chrome's version will be on by default when it rolls out. However, you'll need to download the latest Canary release and toggle the "Client Side Detection Brand and Intent for Scam Detection" flag. Just navigate to chrome://flags, find that option, and enable it.

Earlier this year, Chrome gained a similar security-bolstering feature that threw a full-page "download warning" for risky downloads. It offers multiple options to bypass the warning, with one asking the user why they wish to do so.

Meanwhile, this new AI scam-busting upgrade follows another AI-driven Chrome feature Google rolled out last month called "Store reviews." It aggregates and summarizes independent retailer ratings from sites like Trustpilot to give users the full scoop before they purchase something.