AI Granny To Handle Scammers | 2 Min AI + Tech
Be the most informed person at work in just 2 Minutes.
Start?
‘AI Granny’ is happy to talk with phone scammers all day
UK’s largest mobile network operator, O2, introduced a chatbot designed to frustrate phone scammers. Called “dAIsy,” it mimics an older woman with all kinds of time to chat – about knitting, her cat Fluffy – with the aim of keeping fraudsters endlessly engaged as they try obtaining her (fake) bank details. This is voice impersonation, but for fooling scammers.
A press release about O2’s “AI Granny” says it combines “various AI models” that transcribe the caller’s voice into text before generating a response through a custom large language model, then feeding it through a text-to-speech model to produce a voice answer. The AI was trained in part by Jim Browning, a “scambait” expert with a huge YouTube following.
It’s fun to see in practice. If it makes a dent, all the better. Last year, the FBI reported that people over age 60 were swindled out of $3.4 billion via telephone scams, up from $3.1 billion in 2022. With generative AI taking off — and voice impersonation with it — those numbers are poised to balloon.
Google launches Gemini app for iOS worldwide.
On Thursday Google launched a dedicated app for its AI-powered assistant, Gemini, on iOS globally. Until now, iOS users either had to use the Google app or mobile web to chat with the AI technology.
The new Gemini iOS app supports text-based prompts in 35 languages. Plus, users can have a conversation with Gemini through its Gemini Live feature in 12 languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Hindi, Portuguese, Arabic, Italian, Indonesian, Japanese, Turkish, and Vietnamese. Google said it aims to introduce support for additional languages soon.
While some of the other features of Gemini, such as asking it to suggest recipes or seeking help for studies, were already available through the Google app and mobile web, Gemini Live is a new addition to the native iOS app.
I have used Gemini Live, and it is good.
AI Image Of The Day
Expand Your Mind - Daily Dose of Mind-Nutrition
I’m on Apple Podcasts.
Do check out my X/Twitter account.
Vikram