Google is deploying AI to fight AI-powered scams on Android devices, introducing sophisticated real-time detection systems for both text messages and phone calls. These new features represent a significant advancement in mobile security, using on-device artificial intelligence to identify conversations that start innocuously but later develop suspicious patterns—a common tactic used by modern scammers. By implementing contextual analysis rather than simple filtering, Google aims to counter increasingly sophisticated social engineering attacks that traditional security measures often miss.
The big picture: Google has announced two AI-powered scam detection features for Android that analyze communications in real-time to protect users from sophisticated fraud attempts.
- The company is specifically targeting scams that begin with seemingly harmless interactions but gradually escalate into fraudulent schemes.
- Both features use on-device AI processing to maintain privacy while offering protection against evolving threats.
Key details about text message protection: The scam detection for Messages feature enhances existing spam protection by analyzing entire conversations for suspicious patterns.
- When the AI detects potential scam activity in a text thread, it warns the user and offers options to dismiss the alert or report and block the sender.
- The system works with SMS, MMS, and RCS messages, and is enabled by default for conversations with people not in the user’s contact list.
- Google promises privacy protection, stating that only sender details and recent messages are shared if a user chooses to report suspicious content.
Current availability: The text message scam detection is now rolling out in English across select regions with plans for expansion.
- The feature is currently available in the US, UK, and Canada.
- Google intends to bring the protection to additional countries in the future.
Phone call protection details: The phone call scam detection system, initially launched as a beta for Pixel 9 users, identifies potential scams during live calls.
- When the system detects suspicious patterns, such as requests for gift card payments, it alerts users through audio, haptic, and on-screen notifications.
- Unlike the text message feature, call scam detection is disabled by default and requires manual activation.
- Testing revealed that devices with the more advanced Gemini Nano AI (Pixel 9) outperformed phones using smaller machine learning models (Pixel 6).
Implementation differences: The two scam detection features differ in their default settings and availability.
- Text message protection is automatically enabled, while call protection requires manual activation.
- Call protection remains limited to Pixel 9 users in the US, though Google is expanding the beta to all Pixel 9 owners.
- Both features prioritize privacy by exclusively processing data on-device and not storing or transmitting conversation content.
Recent Stories
DOE fusion roadmap targets 2030s commercial deployment as AI drives $9B investment
The Department of Energy has released a new roadmap targeting commercial-scale fusion power deployment by the mid-2030s, though the plan lacks specific funding commitments and relies on scientific breakthroughs that have eluded researchers for decades. The strategy emphasizes public-private partnerships and positions AI as both a research tool and motivation for developing fusion energy to meet data centers' growing electricity demands. The big picture: The DOE's roadmap aims to "deliver the public infrastructure that supports the fusion private sector scale up in the 2030s," but acknowledges it cannot commit to specific funding levels and remains subject to Congressional appropriations. Why...
Oct 17, 2025Tying it all together: Credo’s purple cables power the $4B AI data center boom
Credo, a Silicon Valley semiconductor company specializing in data center cables and chips, has seen its stock price more than double this year to $143.61, following a 245% surge in 2024. The company's signature purple cables, which cost between $300-$500 each, have become essential infrastructure for AI data centers, positioning Credo to capitalize on the trillion-dollar AI infrastructure expansion as hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Elon Musk's xAI rapidly build out massive computing facilities. What you should know: Credo's active electrical cables (AECs) are becoming indispensable for connecting the massive GPU clusters required for AI training and inference. The company...
Oct 17, 2025Vatican launches Latin American AI network for human development
The Vatican hosted a two-day conference bringing together 50 global experts to explore how artificial intelligence can advance peace, social justice, and human development. The event launched the Latin American AI Network for Integral Human Development and established principles for ethical AI governance that prioritize human dignity over technological advancement. What you should know: The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, the Vatican's research body for social issues, organized the "Digital Rerum Novarum" conference on October 16-17, combining academic research with practical AI applications. Participants included leading experts from MIT, Microsoft, Columbia University, the UN, and major European institutions. The conference...