Google will use AI to protect users from scam calls

We’ve all received scam calls in the past. One way to potentially avoid these calls is to just not answer calls from unknown numbers. This isn’t always feasible since sometimes your bank might call you. Or a friend, colleague, or family member might call you from a different number, but Google is hoping to alleviate those issues by using AI to screen scam calls.

Google will employ the use of its Gemini Nano AI technology to screen these scam calls. How it works is that when you answer the phone, the AI will begin listening in on the call. If it picks up anything that sounds like a potential scam, it will play a sound. It will also display an alert on your phone warning you about the potential scam.

If you’re concerned about Google listening in on your calls, don’t. According to Google, this will all take place in real-time on your device. This means that your conversations aren’t being sent to a remote server to be processed. Google cited a study which revealed that over $1 trillion was lost to scam calls between 2022-2023. Clearly this is an issue that needs to be tackled.

The feature isn’t live yet and we’re not sure when it will roll out, so we’ll have to keep our eyes peeled. In the meantime, you can protect yourself by using third-party apps like Truecaller that can identify potential scam numbers and robocalls.