It appears that Apple Intelligence is falling for one of the oldest scams in the book, phishing emails.
Originally reported by Android Authority, it appears that multiple Reddit users have observed Apple Intelligence’s AI-powered filter in the Mail app is marking scam emails as a priority. During its WWDC presentation, Apple announced several features for Apple Intelligence, including summarizing our mailing lists that would save users time by determining the importance of emails and alerting users of what they should focus on.
However, if the AI is pushing scam emails it could increase the number of people who fall for them, leading to results like losing access to accounts or considerable amounts of money. Phishing scams rely on appearing like real emails from businesses, usually banks or Amazon, and trick users into clicking on malicious links. For the most part, it is pretty easy to spot these scams, but the AI pushing them adds a new layer of legitimacy that could trick many people.
The reason why the AI is doing this is not clear, but it likely indicates that Apple Intelligence in its current form focuses more on an email's content, rather than the address or other telling markers. For reference, the usual way to tell if an email is from a malicious source is the sender's address, which is usually poorly spelled or has an incorrect extension that's not commonly used.
Given that Apple Intelligence is still in beta, issues like these can still be fixed. However, it is worth noting that if you see an email from a company you use, it is recommended that you go to the website directly rather than clicking on any links just to be safe. It is also a good idea to invest in the best antivirus software, which will include warnings when a link tries to take you somewhere suspicious.
There is no doubt that this is a big issue, especially as AI is designed to make technology more accessible. Unfortunately, most people who fall for these scams tend to be elderly folks that don’t know what to look out for. As such, it is imperative that Apple becomes aware of this issue and works to solve the problem before the official release of Apple Intelligence.
For more information on how to protect yourself, we have a full breakdown about phishing scams and how to avoid them.
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