Is Google copying Microsoft's security playbook? Chrome might get a new AI-powered tool to detect scams

Google Chrome is set to get a new AI-powered feature to protect users against sophisticated ploys and scams deployed by bad actors to bolster security and improve the user experience. According to Leo Varela on X (formerly Twitter), the latest Google Chrome Canary update ships with a new "Client Side Detection Brand and Intent for Scam Detection" (via Neowin).

Per the description, the flag "enables on-device LLM output on pages to inquire for brand and intent of the page." Google leveraging an on-device LLM to scheme through webpages protects the user from security breaches. It also protects the user's credentials from being uploaded to the cloud or used to train Google's AI models.

Google seems to be borrowing a page from Microsoft's security playbook. Leo Varela discovered a "scareware blocker" in Microsoft Edge's Settings earlier this month. According to Leo Varela, the feature leverages AI capabilities to identify tech scams, too. It's turned off by default, meaning you'll have to navigate the settings to enable it.

Microsoft integrating new security features across its tech stack isn't entirely surprising. Over the past few months, the tech giant has been riddled with a cascade of security failures, including an attack by the Russian hacker group Nobelium, which allowed them to access Microsoft executives' email accounts.

"Security underpins every layer of the tech stack, and it's our No. 1 priority," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella indicated during the company's FY24 Q3 earnings call. "We are doubling down on this very important work, putting security above all else before all other features and investments."

It'll be interesting to see how Microsoft and Google leverage AI to keep scams at bay while users browse and simultaneously ensure the tools don't upload the data to the cloud or use it for training.