Gemini Nano can detect scam calls for you

Google I/O is underway, and the company is firing on all cylinders, introducing feature after feature that leverages AI to make your life easier.

Some of the features that caught our eye have to do with Gemini Nano, the company's smallest Gemini-based model. It's still pretty capable, but it's small enough to run entirely on device, meaning it can perform tasks faster than other versions of Gemini.

As Google demoed on I/O stage on Tuesday, Gemini Nano can help a person with poor eyesight get more textual context when they receive an image. Another pretty cool feature, also demoed on stage, is Gemini Nano intercepting a scam call.

In the demonstration, an unknown number calls the recipient's phone, and says, with suspiciously little info and context, that the victim's bank funds are being threatened, and that they should be moved to a safe location. At that moment, Gemini Nano interrupts, rightfully determining that the call is likely a scam, as banks will never ask you to move your money elsewhere to keep it safe.

As comforting as it is to know that there's someone helping you weed out scam calls, it is a bit disconcerting that an AI is listening to the content of your calls, but that's the new AI-powered world we're living in. Fortunately, since this is Nano we're talking, the audio is processed on the phone itself, so your data should remain on your device.

Gemini Nano has been available on Google's Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, but Google is also building it into Chrome, starting with version 126. There, it will power AI features including generating text when needed.

The scam call detection feature, in particular, is undergoing testing right now, and Google will have more to share "later this summer."