When was the last time you received a call from a real, genuine person you didn’t already know? I have a hard time remembering anything in the last three months that wasn’t a crook, whether it was some poor bastard working in an organized crime call center or just plain old ‘a recording on the other end of an autodialer. Phone makers and service providers are aware of this, and Google’s latest attempt at fighting back only concerns Pixel owners.
According to Google’s official security blog, the company is now leveraging the power of its Gemini AI tools to protect Pixel devices against fraudsters in real time. “Scam Detection uses powerful in-device AI to alert you in real-time of a potential scam call by detecting conversation patterns commonly associated with scams,” the informational message states. The system is in beta and is now rolling out to the Pixel 6 and newer phones.
I guess the phrase “we tried to contact you about your car’s extended warranty” sets off about a million digital alarm bells, but Google specifically mentions an attempt to phish users with a fake violation bank account.
If the phone system detects a scam, you’ll receive an audio chime, visual notification, and haptic vibration – the modern telephone trifecta of a red alert on the business. This may seem like an exaggeration, but given how common these scams are, I don’t think you can be too careful. I happen to know an IT security professional with decades of experience who fell prey to one in a careless moment, to the tune of several thousand dollars stolen. No one is safe.
Google says the new system uses Gemini Nano, running entirely on local Pixel hardware. That’s one of the reasons why it’s exclusive to the Pixel 6 and newer models. (A suspicious guy might also wonder if this system would work on any Android device with an NPU… but I digress.) Conversation recordings never leave your phone’s isolated hardware, this which is comforting, but still requires a certain degree of trust.
If you think Google hasn’t earned that trust (and who could blame you?), you’ll be even more reassured by the fact that this system is turned off by default.
Google is also expanding its protection against malicious Android apps, with a similar permanent detection system added to Play Protect. The post says it can add real-time alerts based on app “activity patterns”, taking note of new malware techniques that let the app stay dormant for a certain amount of time before switching to the action. This feature is also starting on the Pixel 6 and newer models, but Google says it will be available to “other phone makers in the coming months.”
