Google Chrome testing new AI flag for scam detection

Google is testing a new AI-powered flag for Chrome to protect users from online scams. It’s still experimental and only available to Chrome Canary users. If it works out, it could be rolled out to regular Chrome users to improve their online security and privacy. The AI flag will likely detect fraudulent websites that try to steal sensitive info like passwords and credit card numbers.

A new AI flag will protect Chrome users from scams

An X user @Leopeva64 has spotted a new “Client Side Detection Brand and Intent for Scam Detection” flag in the latest version of the Google Chrome Canary. As per the flag description, it enables on-device LLM (large language model) output on pages to inquire about the brand and intent of the page.

On-device LLMs (Large Language Models) mean that these powerful AI models run directly on your phone, laptop, or other devices. Instead of using cloud servers, the device does all the processing on its own. It will likely analyze the branding and intent of the page to see if it’s trying to trick users into giving out personal info.

Google follows security trends with AI for scam detection

Google adding AI for scam detection is in line with the growing focus on security especially with the rise of threats online. Microsoft Edge is also testing with a similar AI-powered feature “scareware blocker” to protect users from fraudulent websites. So Google is following suit by developing its own AI-powered scam detection flag to keep users safe.

It’s only available in Chrome Canary for now. There is no official word on when it will be rolled out to regular Chrome users. If you want to try out the new scam detection feature, you’ll need to install the latest version of Chrome Canary. After that, visit chrome://flags/ and search for the “Client Side Detection Brand and Intent for Scam Detection” flag. Once you enable it and restart your browser, the AI flag will be activated.

Besides the scam detection flag, another AI-driven feature called Store Reviews is also under development. This Chrome feature uses AI to summarize product reviews from websites like Trustpilot and ScamAdvisor.