Google announced a lot of new stuff during its I/O keynote. Seriously, just read through our live blog and prepare to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of new things. One of the most exciting announcements seems to have flown under the radar, as Google announced a new feature that would use its powerful Gemini AI to detect automatically when a phone call sounds like a scam.
Basically, the AI will constantly listen to calls from possible spam numbers and alert you if anything said during the conversation sounds like it could be a scam. The company showed off the feature by having a fake bank representative call the presenter. As soon as the scammer asked the presenter to transfer money to a different account to keep it safe, the AI alerted them that it sounded like a scam, helping protect their money.
The AI would also have alerted the presenter if the alleged representative had asked for a PIN or password, as these numbers aren't typically asked for over the phone.
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While most of the features touted for Gemini involve its generative capabilities, this one shows another way the power of a trained AI model can be used. Sure, more savvy users might be able to spot a scam call quickly without AI intervention, but for more vulnerable people, a feature like this could save them from a massive headache or a life-ruining scam.
Unfortunately, Google said the feature won't launch with Android 15. The company said it will share more details later this year. Importantly, it also noted that users would need to opt in and that it would all be handled on their device, so it should be secure. Whether users want AI to listen to their calls remains to be seen, but this does seem like an excellent way for AI to be integrated into our daily lives outside of creating funny images that look a little off.
Google also announced a massive update to Gemini 1.5 Pro and even more Android 15 AI features that sound like game-changers.
