Google no longer needs CAPTCHA to tell humans and bots apart

Anyone who's used the internet in the last decade should be immediately familiar with the reCAPTCHA system (Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart), the little box on websites that has users type in distorted words or click on a checkbox to prove they're human. Well, this could soon all be a thing of the past, as Google has revealed it's developed a way to make the reCAPTCHA system completely invisible, with no need for human input.

As Google explains, the Invisible CAPTCHA system uses a "combination of machine learning and advanced risk analysis that adapt to new and emerging threats." In plainspeak that means that the system automatically begins detecting user habits when they arrive on a webpage, including things like mouse movements and IP address.

Assuming everything checks out, the transcription puzzle or checkbox won't be necessary, and the page's content will load like normal. Should the algorithm detect something is off, a traditional CAPTCHA can be presented in the same manner as before.

Google doesn't go into too many more details about how the invisible system works, as it obviously doesn't want people making bots that can crack it. But once it starts being widely implemented, it should make websites a bit easier and quick to navigate, leaving CAPTCHAs to become a memory of the past.

SOURCE Google