Chrome’s Upcoming Security Upgrade: Automatic Password Changes for Breached Credentials

Google Chrome may soon add an updated security function that identifies compromised passwords and offers to generate and store a more secure replacement automatically. While Google refers to this as a "AI innovation," the actual role of AI is unclear.

Leopeva64, a software researcher, uncovered the feature in an early Chrome release, located under the AI settings menu. The "Automated Password Change" feature allows Chrome to detect compromised passwords and automatically replace them when users attempt to sign in. Currently, Chrome warns users about compromised passwords and urges them to manually update them. The new feature, on the other hand, intends to speed up the process by handling the change immediately and saving the new credentials in Google's Password Manager, where they will stay encrypted and inaccessible to outsiders.

To test this feature, users can enable it in Chrome's experimental Canary version by changing relevant flags in the browser settings. However, its AI capabilities remain unclear. Password managers have long been able to generate and store secure passwords without using artificial intelligence. Some believe Google is renaming existing security algorithms under the AI umbrella, a standard practice in technology.

Regardless of the AI argument, this feature could improve online security by allowing users to easily adopt stronger, unique passwords. It's unclear whether Google will revise their AI promises in the final release, but the initiative is a positive step toward greater cybersecurity.

This article is based on information from ARS Technica.