I just learned about a new feature in Chrome and Edge browsers that sounds incredible but is almost entirely pointless.

It’s a built-in, on by default, AI-powered scareware detection system.

Scareware, if you don’t know, is where some websites will pop up a full-screen message in an attempt to scam you.

Sometimes it’s a message from ‘law enforcement’ stating that they know that your computer has been used for illegal activities and that you need to click a link to pay your fine.

Other times, it will show a fake error message about a problem with your computer, and you need to phone a specific number to get the problem resolved. Of course, they will charge you a fee for the service.

A lot of people fall for these scams. It’s why they exist. So what’s the problem with this technology?

LLMs require a lot of compute. So this feature won’t function unless your computer has at least 2GB of RAM and a minimum 5-core CPU. And even if you meet this bare minimum, it will be a massive drain on your processing power unless you have significantly more.

Ok, so what’s the problem?

People who know what LLM means, or compute, or processing power — or what a 5-core CPU is — they likely don’t have a computer that will allow this feature to operate.

And those who do understand these terms aren’t the ones who need the feature because they’re likely tech savvy enough to spot these sorts of scams a mile away.

This isn’t to say that non-tech-savvy people can’t spot scams, but this is aimed at those who can’t — and those who can’t likely don’t have the computer hardware for it to work.

The Venn diagram has a small overlap.

Good concept? Sure.

But practical?