Fact Check: Post Offering Bard AI Tool Download Link Poses Malware Risk

New Delhi (Vishvas News): A post circulating on Facebook is falsely offering links to download the Google Bard AI tool. The links in the post, which claim to be for ‘Google Bard AI’ tool download and trial, induce users to download unknown compressed files. This is likely to expose the users to malware attacks. And it is essential to be cautious as this is a scam and has been placed on social media for fraudulent activities.

Claim: Facebook page Bard AI shared the below post (archive link here):

There were several other accounts that shared identical posts on Facebook.

Investigation:

The post indicates that the shared link is of Bard, the AI artificial intelligence chat robot developed by Google, which will let the users download and use it. Once clicked, the post will redirect the user to a page and trick them into downloading an unknown compressed file.

Vishvas News also checked the page information and found that its name was only recently changed. Even though it has a shared Google website link, it is not an official account of Google. It also does not have a Facebook blue tick verification.

Next, Vishvas News did an open search on Google to find any official link of Bard AI public tool for download but found no such link online. 

As the query is linked to the Google Bard tool, we also engaged in questioning the conversational chatbot and received the following responses to the below questions:

Currently, there is no corresponding program for download, only website experience is provided. Official announcements and releases are typically made through verified channels, such as Google’s official website, blog, or official social media accounts.

Vishvas News has contacted a Google spokesperson but has not received a comment yet.

To confirm we also spoke to Cyber Expert Anuj Agarwal, who warned that it is a malware link. “Malware is software that is designed to harm a computer system. It can steal personal information, install viruses, or damage files. If someone has clicked on the link, I recommend that they scan their computer for malware using a reputable antivirus program. They should also change their passwords for any accounts that they used on the same computer. Always be wary of links that you receive from people you don’t know. Don’t click on links unless you are sure that they are safe,” said Agarwal.

He advised to protect yourself from malware attacks and other online threats, it is crucial to follow these below-mentioned security measures:

Be sceptical: Exercise caution when encountering community ads or download links from unofficial sources, especially if they claim to provide access to popular or unreleased tools.

Verify official sources: Always check the official website or trusted sources associated with the tool or application in question for any announcements or official downloads.

Use reputable antivirus software: Install and keep your antivirus software up to date to detect and mitigate potential malware threats.

Stay informed: Regularly follow technology news and updates to stay aware of potential scams, security vulnerabilities, and best practices for online safety.

The Facebook page Bard for Business, which shared the viral post has around 2,54,000 followers on the social media platform.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the post’s claim of offering a download link for the Google Bard AI tool is false. Bard is a conversational AI chat robot developed by Google, mainly based on LaMDA’s large language model. At present, the experience is only available on the bard.google.com website, and there is no corresponding program or link for download. It is recommended that the public should not download or install such fraudulent links, and report such posts. Malicious actors may disguise malware within these links to gain unauthorised access to personal information, steal data, or disrupt the functionality of devices.

Tags

• Artificial Intelligence
• cyber fraud
• Google