Google has filed a lawsuit against a Chinese cybercrime network, accusing it of using its Gemini artificial intelligence agent to generate phishing text messages aimed at U.S. residents. The complaint, announced Friday, alleges the group developed and operated a phishing-as-a-service platform called Outsider.
The network weaponized Gemini to craft convincing smishing messages, according to the tech giant. This case marks a notable escalation in legal action against AI-enabled fraud, where large language models are repurposed for social engineering attacks at scale.
Technical details remain sparse, but Google claims the group used Gemini's text generation capabilities to automate the creation of deceptive messages that impersonated trusted entities. The Outsider kit likely provided criminals with pre-built phishing content and delivery infrastructure, lowering the barrier to entry for smishing campaigns.
Google is pursuing legal remedies to disrupt the network and take down its infrastructure, though it did not specify whether patches or technical mitigations are being deployed. The company is urging users to remain cautious of unsolicited text messages requesting personal information.
This action highlights a growing trend of cybercriminals adopting generative AI for malicious purposes. It raises questions about the responsibility of AI providers to prevent such abuse and the adequacy of current legal frameworks to address AI-augmented threats.