Google has introduced two new AI features in its Chrome browser to enhance user experience in terms of security and browsing efficiency. One standout feature is the addition of real-time protection against malicious websites. This advanced functionality uses AI to provide instant warnings when users navigate potentially dangerous sites.
This marks a significant improvement over Google’s previous Safe Browsing feature, which relied on a periodically updated list stored on the user’s device to identify threats. Google discovered that the average lifespan of a malicious site is less than 10 minutes, which made the old system less effective. The new real-time protection checks sites against a constantly updated server-side list of known dangerous sites, offering more timely and robust defense against threats.
Additionally, the AI works to block attacks, provide deep file scans, and offer extra protection from malicious Chrome extensions. To enable this feature, click the three-dot menu next to your profile picture in Chrome. Navigate to “Settings.” Go to “Privacy and Security” and then “Security.” From there, click on the radio button next to “Enhanced protection” to turn this feature on.
Real-time protection improves browsing safety
Another innovative feature is the AI-powered browsing history search. This tool allows users to search their browser history using everyday language.
Instead of needing exact keywords or URLs, users can describe elements of the site or content they are trying to find, and Chrome’s AI will retrieve relevant results. For instance, one could ask, “What was the article I looked at talking about tissue engineering?” and the AI would accurately locate the desired page. This feature is off by default.
To enable it, click the three-dot menu next to your profile picture in Chrome. Navigate to “Settings.” Go to “Experimental AI” and click the arrow next to “History Search, Powered by AI.” Turn it on using the toggle bar. This feature is currently available only in the U.S. and requires Chrome to be set to English as it remains in the experimental phase.
These two new additions underscore Chrome’s commitment to improving user security and convenience. Real-time protection significantly enhances online safety, while the AI-powered browsing history search makes it much easier for users to find previously visited sites, even if specifics have been forgotten.
