Google has initiated legal proceedings in a California federal court against anonymous individuals it alleges have been promoting fraudulent "downloads" of its artificial-intelligence chatbot Bard to install malware on users' computers.

According to Google, the scammers in question are exploiting its trademarks, using names like "Google AI" and "AIGoogleBard," to deceive users into downloading the malware. The tech giant claims that the installed malware enables the defendants to pilfer login credentials for social media accounts.

Identified in the complaint as Does 1-3, the defendants remain unreachable. Google's General Counsel, Halimah DeLaine Prado, stated that the scammers had "misled numerous people around the world." The company has submitted nearly 300 takedown requests in response to the alleged fraudulent activities.

DeLaine Prado emphasised that such lawsuits serve as "an effective tool for establishing a legal precedent, disrupting the tools used by scammers, and raising the consequences for bad actors."

As technology companies, including Google, race to integrate artificial intelligence into their products, Bard was publicly released by Google in March. The lawsuit highlights that scammers employ social media posts and web pages to advertise free downloads of Bard, which, in reality, is not available for download. The malware, once downloaded, is used to compromise victims' social media accounts.

The scheme primarily targets small businesses and other advertisers on Facebook, according to Google. The company also accused the defendants of violating its terms of service by impersonating Google and hosting the malware on Google Sites and Google Drive.

In its legal action, Google is seeking a court order to halt the scheme and is requesting the scammers' profits along with other monetary damages.