Entering garbled text codes to prove you’re human? Google unveils a friendlier CAPTCHA code system

Entering garbled text to verify you are human could soon be a thing of the past on many online discussion boards and retail sites, thanks to a new Google API.

According to Google, its new reCAPTCHA API is based on an Advanced Risk Analysis backend that looks at a users’ interaction with a website, before, during, and after clicking on a CAPTCHA code, in order to determine if they’re a genuine user.

In most cases, users will simply be able to tick a box in order to determine they’re human, although they might be asked to complete a puzzle if there are any issues.

For mobile users, the puzzles will include tasks such as selecting all of the images that correspond to a cue, rather than having to enter text on a smartphone.

According to Google, artificial intelligence can now solve even the most difficult distorted text puzzles with 99.8% accuracy, making them far less effective for weeding out spambots and scripts.

reCAPTCHA will be rolled out across Snapchat, WordPress and Humble Bundle, while small business owners looking for more information about setting it up on their own websites can find it here.