At this time, there are many forms of fraud everywhere. From emails, websites to even seemingly harmless calls. Staying vigilant is vital, but you don’t have to fight alone. Big technology companies are also contributing to users’ efforts to fight fraud.

Google is testing a new feature that uses AI to help users avoid scams – at least when you’re using Google Chrome.

Google equips AI to detect scams right in Chrome

According to researcher Leopeva64, Google is testing a new feature called “Client Side Detection Brand and Intent for Scam Detection.” Although the name doesn’t sound very related to AI, the description reveals it all: this feature uses large language modeling (LLM) on the device to check websites for signs of scams.

LLM stands for large language model, which powers many of the AI-generated programs and services you use, and it looks like this feature uses that AI model to search for websites that have looks deceptive.

Specifically, this feature will focus on:

• Brand counterfeiting: Detect websites impersonating famous brands to commit fraud.
• Shady intentions: Look for the telltale signs of a scam or phishing.

To clarify, Leopeva asked Gemini to analyze this feature, and the results look quite reasonable. If so, AI in Chrome will be an extremely useful “assistant” to keep you away from online traps.

Currently, this feature is being tested on Chrome Canary, Chrome’s experimental version of new features. Even if it’s not clear whether it’s working or not, you can still activate it by:

1. Open Chrome Canary.
2. Access chrome://flags on the address bar.
3. Search “client-side-detection-brand-and-page-intent” (no parentheses needed).
4. Select “Enabled” in the drop-down menu.
5. Restart Chrome

Not only Google, Microsoft Edge is also testing a similar feature. The feature is called “scareware blocker”, with a much clearer description: “Allows Microsoft to use AI to detect potential technology scams.”

The fact that leading browsers are starting to apply AI to prevent scams is good news for users. But you should also remember that, no matter how modern the technology is, your own vigilance is still the first and most important line of defense. Don’t click haphazardly and always check everything carefully before making a decision.