Google has unveiled new Artificial Intelligence tools to protect Gmail’s 2.5 billion users from a surge in holiday scams, the company disclosed in a blog post on Wednesday.
The tech giant said these advanced measures are part of its ongoing efforts to combat the seasonal spike in phishing, spam, and malware that intensifies during the shopping period starting in mid-November.
“With more than 2.5 billion users, Gmail is the world’s largest email provider, and we know how important it is to keep inboxes everywhere safe,” Google said.
The company noted that it blocks more than 99.9 per cent of spam, phishing, and malware attempts year-round, but the challenge grows significantly during the holidays.
Google reported that new security features launched over the past year have already had a measurable impact.
During the first month of the current holiday season, users saw 35 per cent fewer scams reach their inboxes compared to last year.
The enhancements, according to the tech giant, allowed it to block millions more potentially harmful messages before they reached users.
The improvements are driven by several advanced AI models, including a newly developed large language model that specialises in identifying phishing, spam, and malware patterns.
According to Google, this LLM has improved detection by blocking 20 per cent more spam and processing 1,000 times more user-reported spam daily.
In anticipation of the holiday shopping rush, Google also deployed an AI model just before Black Friday that acts as a “supervisor” to its existing security systems.
This model rapidly evaluates hundreds of threat signals when a risky message is flagged, enabling Gmail to apply the appropriate protections in real time.
“Our AI systems work behind the scenes to protect billions of inboxes, adapting quickly as attackers adjust their methods,” the company stated.
Despite these technological defenses, Google warned that scammers continuously refine their tactics, particularly during high-activity periods.
“We typically see a second wave of attacks around this time in the holiday season as attackers adjust and try new things,” the company noted.
Google advised users to remain vigilant and report any suspicious emails as spam or phishing. “It’s equally important for you to stay ahead of scams,” the blog post added.