Google tests twice a week security fixes for Chrome after AI finds more bugs

In short: Google is trying out releasing Chrome security fixes twice a week because AI tools are helping find far more security problems than before.

What's going on

Google’s Chrome team says it has been hit with a surge in security bugs, and it is responding by patching faster. In June, Chrome’s two major version updates included fixes for 1,072 security bugs. Google said that is more than the team shipped across the previous 23 major Chrome releases combined.

A big reason is that the Chrome team is using AI more deeply in its day to day security work. These tools help spot “vulnerabilities,” which are weaknesses that could be used by attackers, and help sort and fix them. Google has used machine learning (a type of AI that learns patterns from data) for security testing for years, but the team says this year feels like a turning point.

Chrome was already moving toward a major release every two weeks, plus weekly security updates. Now, because there are so many fixes ready to ship, Google is piloting security updates twice a week. Think of it like a car maker recalling small parts more often because new inspection tools are finding issues faster.

What to watch

Google says this intense pace may not last forever. The company expects the flow of new bugs could slow down over time as AI helps find and fix the easiest issues first, especially in a mature product like Chrome. The team is also working on longer term changes, like rewriting some older code in Rust, a “memory safe” programming language (designed to prevent certain common mistakes that can lead to security holes).

Source: Wired