Google Leverages AI to Combat Surge in Online Scams and Spam

Artificial intelligence fuels both the creation and detection of deceptive ads, as tech giants race to stay ahead of scammers.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 6:34pm

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A highly detailed 3D illustration of a glowing, neon-lit cybersecurity firewall or network infrastructure, conceptually representing the digital defenses used by tech companies to combat AI-generated online fraud.Google's AI-powered ad safety systems work tirelessly to shield users from the growing tide of sophisticated, AI-generated spam and scams.Madison Today

Artificial intelligence has become a double-edged sword in the fight against online scams and spam. While AI tools make it easier for bad actors to generate deceptive ads at scale, tech companies like Google are also harnessing AI to bolster their defenses. Google's Gemini AI system was able to catch over 99% of policy-violating ads before they reached an audience in 2025, blocking or removing more than 8.3 billion ads that year, including 602 million scam-related ads. The battle between AI-powered scams and AI-powered detection is expected to intensify as the technology continues to advance.

Why it matters

The proliferation of AI-generated spam and scams poses a growing threat to online users, with the FBI reporting over $893 million in losses from AI-related scams in 2025. However, the tech industry's embrace of AI-based solutions to combat this issue demonstrates the potential for the technology to be a powerful tool in the fight against deceptive and malicious content online.

The details

Google's Gemini AI system analyzes hundreds of billions of signals, including account age, behavioral cues, and campaign patterns, to better determine the legitimacy and intent of advertisers. This has allowed the company to reduce incorrect advertiser suspensions by 80% while still blocking or removing over 8.3 billion ads in 2025, a significant increase from the 5.1 billion ads blocked or removed in 2024. Google also relies on other defense mechanisms, such as an expansive advertiser verification program, to fortify its protections against scams and spam.

  • In 2025, Google blocked or removed more than 8.3 billion ads, including 602 million ads with policy violations most closely associated with scams.
  • In 2024, Google blocked or removed a total of 5.1 billion ads.

The players

Google

A technology company that operates the world's largest digital advertising platform and is using AI-powered tools like its Gemini system to combat the surge in online scams and spam.

Nate Elliott

A principal analyst at Emarketer who states that the accessibility of generative AI tools has exacerbated the perennial issue of online spam and scams.

Keerat Sharma

Google's vice president and general manager of ads privacy and safety, who says the advancement of generative AI as part of Google's defense system has led to more powerful results in combatting problematic content.

Matt Seitz

The director of the AI Hub at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who believes the volume of the scam and spam problem is so large that it can't be managed directly through humans, leading to an escalating AI-versus-AI battle.

FBI

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, which detailed receiving more than 22,000 complaints reporting AI-related scams in 2025, with total losses exceeding $893 million.

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What they’re saying

“It's not that this is a new problem. It is an old problem, supercharged. The biggest difference is the speed and the scale that AI offers both the good actors and the bad actors.”

— Nate Elliott, Principal Analyst, Emarketer

“Gemini now allows the team to analyze hundreds of billions of signals — including account age, behavioral cues and campaign patterns — to better understand the 'nuance of what an advertiser's intent actually is.' This means they're able to largely determine legitimacy or whether an advertiser's intent could be malicious.”

— Keerat Sharma, Vice President and General Manager of Ads Privacy and Safety, Google

“We're already close, but it's going to be heading even more to (where) it's just AI versus AI. The volume of this problem is so large that it can't be managed directly through humans.”

— Matt Seitz, Director of the AI Hub, University of Wisconsin-Madison

What’s next

Google plans to continue investing in and expanding its AI-powered tools to stay ahead of scammers and spammers, as the battle between AI-generated deceptive content and AI-based detection is expected to intensify in the years to come.

The takeaway

The rise of AI-powered spam and scams underscores the dual-edged nature of the technology, but also highlights the potential for AI-based solutions to combat these threats at scale. As the online landscape becomes increasingly saturated with AI-generated content, tech companies like Google are demonstrating that AI can be a powerful tool in the fight against deceptive and malicious activity.