Could Two Beaumont Students Outsmart the Scammers?

You know that suspicious phone call that makes you wonder, “Is this person really who they say they are?” Imagine getting a warning while the scammer is still talking.

That's the idea behind Canary AI, a prototype created by two Lamar University students who recently took first place in a statewide technology challenge.

Computer science major Bilal Maqsood and English major Bronwyn Jones developed the project for RowdyHacks XII, a 24-hour competition held October 3–4 in San Antonio. Their creation won the competition's SWIVEL Challenge, which featured 22 projects.

Canary AI is designed to recognize suspicious language and pressure tactics during phone conversations. Think requests for gift cards, verification codes, or other familiar scammer tricks. When the system detects warning signs, it can alert the person receiving the call.

But here's what makes this hometown achievement especially interesting: one student brought the programming expertise, while the other brought the power of language analysis. Two different disciplines, one clever solution to a problem that affects just about everybody.

The students plan to continue developing Canary AI, which currently operates through calls routed to a dedicated phone number. It's still a prototype, not a consumer product available for general use.

Still, it's an impressive reminder that some of tomorrow's big ideas are being developed right here in Beaumont.

And wouldn't it be something if the next tool to outsmart phone scammers came straight out of Cardinal Country?

Source: Lamar University — RowdyHacks SWIVEL Challenge