What do you want to know
- Google previewed a new Android feature at Google I/O 2024 that uses AI to detect scam-related phrases in phone calls.
- More than $12 billion was lost in the United States to digital theft last year, with phishing scams – including fake phone calls – accounting for the largest number of reports.
- Since the AI call detection feature uses on-device AI, its use does not have major privacy implications.
Google I/O 2024 was the most developer-focused developer conference we’ve seen in a while, and it was full of AI talk. In fact, the phrase has been mentioned in one form or another over 120 times. For consumers, most of the AI features mentioned won’t have a tangible impact on how they use the technology. That’s with the notable exception of one feature – AI scam call detection – that could become the most important Android feature added to the platform in years.
Google is testing scam detection alerts. Although the company shared a glimpse of the feature in action at Google I/O, we don’t have a release date or many details at this time. Google has promised to share more details “later this year,” and that’s the best timeline we have. Still, the idea behind this feature is great and it looks impressive in the demos.
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. This protection happens on the device so your conversation remains private to you. More to come later this year! #GoogleIO pic.twitter.com/l87wGCz62xMay 14, 2024
The proposition is simple: AI will help unwitting users avoid falling victim to a cell phone scam. It uses on-device AI to detect words and phrases commonly associated with phishing scams and alert the user that the call they are receiving is likely a scam. For example, in the demo video, Google showed a scam detection alert that appeared after a so-called “bank representative” asked a user to transfer funds to a new account.
Essentially, the AI model would be trained to determine what types of claims tend to be fraudulent. The most common type of phishing scam today involves asking people to pay using gift cards. As such, AI detection of scam calls could inform a user that a scam is likely once the caller asks them to send gift card redemption codes.
Surprisingly, user feedback on social media regarding AI scam detection has not been overwhelmingly positive. However, this feature has the potential to make the biggest difference to everything announced at Google I/O, and here’s why.
People lose billions of dollars to scammers
First, let’s address the obvious question: Do we really need AI to tell us that we shouldn’t transfer our savings based on a single unsolicited phone call? It may seem hard to believe, but the answer is yes. Chances are, if you read Android Central, you probably have a better understanding of tech literacy and internet security than the average person. Tech enthusiasts can spot scams instantly, and most of us know better than to pick up the phone when we don’t know the number and aren’t expecting a call.
Not everyone is tech-savvy enough to spot scams quickly and effectively. Older people are victims of this type of scam more often than anyone else. We can probably all think of someone in our lives who could be fooled by a scam phone call, especially as scammers evolve and find new ways to try to fool people.
If you’re still not convinced that spam calls are a major problem in 2024, here are some numbers to confirm it. In the blog post announcing this feature, Google referenced a study by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance. It found that in 2023 alone, people around the world lost an estimated $1.026 billion to scams and identity theft. The report covered 49,459 people from 43 countries and shows how widespread scams are.
Although these are estimated figures, we have more concrete data in the United States. The FBI releases an Internet Crime Report each year chronicling reports of online thefts and scams and the amount of money stolen. In 2023, digital scams lost $12.5 billion in the United States. This is an increase from $10.3 billion in 2022 and $6.9 billion in 2021. The number of online scams and the amount of money lost are both rising sharply. For reference, only $3.5 billion was lost in 2019 – so the amount of money lost tripled over a five-year period.
There are all kinds of online scams and identity thefts that contribute to the Internet crime report. However, the largest number of complaints reported to the FBI involved phishing scams. In 2023, there were 298,878 reports of phishing scams in the United States, more than all reports in the other four categories combined.
For those unfamiliar, scams using the phishing method attempt to trick users into voluntarily giving up information or money. When someone calls you pretending to be a bank or the IRS, for example, they are trying to phish for your credentials or your money. These are precisely the types of scams that Google’s scam detection feature could thwart with AI.
Google won’t listen to your calls: everything is handled on the device
Google’s feature works by analyzing your calls in real time and matching words and phrases with those commonly used in scams. Sounds like a privacy nightmare, right? In fact, it’s not because Google uses on-device processing for the whole thing. For years, companies have used on-device processing to prevent certain types of sensitive information from leaving your device. Google has the Titan M2 security chip and Apple has the Secure Enclave.
In this case, Google uses the Gemini Nano model to detect potential scams during your calls. This means that Google will not be able to listen to your calls or even collect data from them. Everything will happen on your phone, using Google’s smallest AI model, without any information being sent to the company.
This has its drawbacks, such as phone compatibility. Since it uses Gemini Nano, the scam call detection feature would likely only be compatible with certain phones like the Pixel 8 Pro and Galaxy S24 series if it launched today. Gemini Nano would come to the Pixel 8 later and could come to more phones in the future. But for privacy reasons, only devices capable of running Gemini Nano will be able to use this feature.
Scam detection alerts will save many people from theft
I’ve long said that AI will benefit casual, uninformed users of technology far more than enthusiasts – especially at first. A perfect example of this concept is Google’s plan for AI scam detection alerts. They may not help you or me, but they will help tons of people avoid scam attempts before they end up in a horrible situation.
These are the kinds of characteristics that can make the difference between a life-changing mistake and an easily avoided crisis. That’s why, despite all the AI nonsense Google talked about at I/O, these scam detection alerts are what I’m most excited to see on Android phones.