Google's CAPTCHA service now allows human users to pass through and access a website without seeing the "I'm not a robot" checkbox. The CAPTCHA provider, known as No CAPTCHA reCAPTCHA, uses an "advanced risk analysis engine" to separate users from bots. The service has developed numerous challenges since it first launched. But it all started with a single click.
Bots (and several strains of malware, for that matter) have stayed on top of these innovations. Given this adaptability, it's no wonder Google has improved its service one again. As it announces on reCAPTCHA's website:
"Now we're taking it a step further and making it invisible. Human users will be let through without seeing the 'I'm not a robot' checkbox, while suspicious ones and bots still have to solve the challenges."
At this point, it's not clear how the invisible CAPTCHA works. The unseen service says it validates users in the background. No doubt it does this with the help of cues observed and analyzed by its risk analysis engine.
But as Google explains above, not everything is changing. The tech giant will still dole out puzzles to try to block automated software from engaging in abusive activities. And that's a good thing in a way. For example, Google says it sometimes creates a CAPTCHA out of text that's visible in a Street View image. Users who complete the challenge confirm that text. This makes Google Maps more accurate. Google reports it also compiles completed images into data sets that scientists can use to train machine learning systems, efforts which lay the groundwork for building the next generation of artificial intelligence solutions. Other times, the company takes books and turns each word into a CAPTCHA. These challenges therefore help to digitize a book and preserve it online. To learn more about Google's CAPTCHA service, including the invisible reCAPTCHA, click here.
