Google’s dialer app will soon leverageGemini AIto warn you of possible spam callers mid-phone conversation, the company has announced at itsGoogle I/O 2024conference.
“We’re testing a new feature that uses Gemini Nano to provide real-time alerts during a call if it detects conversation patterns commonly associated with scams,“says Google. What makes this feature stand out fromother spam call filtersis the real-time element at play, warning you of danger in a highly context-specific manner.
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On stage, Google gave the example of a bank representative calling and requesting the victim transfer money away from a ‘compromised account,’ which is a regrettably common form of Telecom fraud.
During the demo, once the perpetrator made mention of a money transfer, a bright red prompt appeared on screen reading “Likely scam. Banks will never ask you to move your money to keep it safe.” The additional note explaining why this is likely a scam is a nice addition to greater financial literacy for consumers.
This new suspected scams feature will utilize on-device AI, so none of your phone call data will be sent to the cloud for processing, according to Google. This is great news from a user privacy perspective, and it means you’ll have access to this extra layer of security even without an internet connection.
We don’t have a timeline for availability just yet
It’s unclear whether this Gemini AI-powered security feature will be made available on Android phones beyond Google’s in-house Pixel lineup. We also don’t yet have confirmation of when the feature will land in a stable release.
For now, Google is promising that it’ll ‘share more about this opt-in feature later this year.’ If I had to guess, we would likely see suspected scam alerts land right alongside the company’s upcomingPixel 9 seriesof smartphones in the fall time frame.
Google I/O 2024 will kick off May 14. Here’s what we expect
Google announced the event through a fun, but elaborate puzzle.
