Google is rolling out an AI-powered scam detection features for its Pixel phones.
In a blog post announcing the launch, Google also stated that the feature will eventually be available on Android smartphones other than Pixels. The update is currently available for the Pixel 6 from 2021 and all subsequent Pixels. Only users from the US who have enrolled in the Google Beta Program will initially be allowed to use the Scam Detection in Phone function.
The feature scans the audio from any incoming calls using the AI within the phone. The Phone app screen will display an alert if the algorithms determine that you may be getting scammed. The technology offers users visual, haptic, and audible alerts when it detects a possible fraud, as well as the ability to stop communicating immediately.
“For example, if a caller claims to be from your bank and asks you to urgently transfer funds due to an alleged account breach, Scam Detection will process the call to determine whether the call is likely spam and, if so, can provide an audio and haptic alert and visual warning that the call may be a scam,” explains the company in their blog.
The pixel 9 phones utilize the Gemini Nano AI model to run the feature, while older models use other on-device machine learning models. Additionally, the company has stated that customers will have complete control over the feature. The feature is turned off by default, and once turned on, it can be turned off again at any point, either for every call or just for certain ones. All data and voice processing takes place fully on the device and no audio or transcripts are saved or transmitted to Google’s servers.
Another handy safety feature that has been announced is the live threat detection in Google Play Protect, a safety tool that scans the Play Store for dangerous and malicious apps. The feature will alert users if an app exhibits suspicious behavior or interacts with other apps needlessly. Unlike the scam detection feature, the live threat detection tool will be available to users outside of the US.
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