By Zak Doffman
Publication Date: 2026-01-18 07:53:00
The Chrome upgrade gives users a new choice.
NurPhoto via Getty Images
Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. That’s the message of the latest Chrome upgrade appearing in early release versions of the world’s most popular browser. Google is upgrading everything with AI – as seen with Gmail and Personalized Gemini AI. Now Chrome is the latest platform to offer users an important choice.
While there are risks in using AI on or off the device to write emails or search files, its use to detect malware and fraud is less controversial. Especially if this is done on the device without sending your personal data to Google’s cloud.
That’s why this AI-powered fraud detection was so welcome when it was first unveiled in late 2024. Of all the AI use cases, this real-time protection from fake websites, dangerous installations and downloads, or fraudulent texts and emails is much needed.
But Google is now