Google has filed lawsuits against unidentified scammers who leveraged the popularity of the company’s AI chatbot, Bard, to deceive users into downloading malware onto their devices. This marks the first legal action of its kind by a major tech company, shedding light on the emerging legal challenges associated with the increasing prevalence of artificial intelligence.
The Scam: Google alleges that scammers created social media accounts, including Facebook profiles named “Google AI,” “AIGoogle,” and similar variations, enticing users to download a fake version of Bard. The fraudulent files, when downloaded, installed malicious software on users’ devices, granting the scammers access to their social media accounts.
Legal Action: The tech giant is suing the scammers for trademark infringement, citing the unauthorised use of Google’s logo in promoting their scheme. Additionally, Google is pursuing charges of breach of contract, emphasising the scammers’ deceptive actions.
This legal move highlights the problems caused by scammers taking advantage of the increasing interest in AI tools. Google’s General Counsel, Halimah DeLaine Prado, explained in a blog post that scammers are using the public’s excitement about AI to their advantage. She stressed the importance of having clear rules to prevent fraud and scams in new areas of innovation.
The fraudulent Bard AI tools were reportedly downloaded globally, with unsuspecting users falling victim to the scheme. Google stresses that the authentic Bard does not require any download, making the fraudulent activity especially deceptive.
In a separate lawsuit, Google has taken legal action against individuals accused of setting up numerous Google accounts to submit thousands of false copyright claims against competitors.
This lawsuit, also filed in the Northern District of California, targets individuals who allegedly created 65 Google accounts to submit fraudulent notices of copyright infringement against over 117,000 websites.
DeLaine Prado stressed that these legal actions are meant to set examples in new areas of innovation. Google wants to discourage scammers, safeguard users, and make the online world safer.
