Google's latest anti-scam venture proves to be an artificial intelligence-powered financial scam phone call detector that scans phone calls in real-time; while certainly advantageous in some regard, privacy advocates are already worried about the tested feature.
According to reports, Google revealed the concept on Tuesday at its software developers' conference, Google I/O.
According to Google Vice President of Engineering Dave Burke, Google is testing a technology that utilizes artificial intelligence to identify patterns linked to scams and notify Android phone users when frauds are suspected to be underway.
A red pop-up window with the wording, "Likely scam: Banks will never ask you to move your money to keep it safe," and buttons to end and continue the call were the examples that were reportedly on show at the event. The phone user was also informed that the scam alert had appeared via an alert noise.
That might frighten some individuals because it shows that Google's AI listens to your phone calls. A corporate representative assured in past reports that all information will remain confidential on your smartphone. The new functionality, which is still undergoing testing, has no set date.
Read Also: Google Takes the Wheel with New User-Friendly In-Car Apps Approach
Privacy Concerns
The live audience at the Mountain View, California conference applauded the demonstration. Still, some privacy activists claimed it might unleash a chain reaction as tech companies compete to offer customers more AI-enabled capabilities.
In statements posted online and in interviews, they said there were many ways the software might be misused by government agents, private surveillance firms, stalkers, and other individuals interested in listening to other people's phone conversations.
Advocates for privacy warned that on-device processing might still be open to attack from savvy hackers, friends with phone access, or government agents served with subpoenas requesting transcripts or audio data.
Burke did not specify what security measures Google will implement, and Google did not reply to queries for more details.
The consequences of Google's notion are "terrifying," according to Albert Fox Cahn, executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, especially for vulnerable individuals like political dissidents or those seeking abortions.
Those who opposed the scam-detection concept included former Google employee Meredith Whittaker, who claimed it is "incredibly dangerous." Whittaker is the president of the nonprofit organization that promotes the privacy-focused messaging software Signal, the Signal Foundation.
Google AI Search Criticisms
Google's AI ventures during its I/O event continue to be criticized by different groups. In addition to privacy advocates, news publishers recently voiced their concerns about Google's new AI-powered search results, favoring AI summaries over website links that allow written content to be monetized.
When users search on Google, this new feature will prioritize providing them with AI summaries above website links. Google announced on Tuesday that it will incorporate Gemini, a powerful artificial intelligence model, into its popular search engine.
Artificial intelligence summaries are designed to show up only when Google's algorithms decide that doing so will be the fastest and most efficient way to capture a user's attention.
Danielle Coffey, CEO of the News/Media Alliance, allegedly forewarned CNN that the new feature would hurt their company and provide even less incentive for users to click, decreasing the opportunity for news publishers to monetize their content. This reacted to Google's insistence on going above and beyond for users.
Related Article: Google I/O 2024 Unveils 'Ask Photos' to Enhance Image Search with Gemini
(Photo: Tech Times)
