Google's Chrome browser has quietly undergone a dramatic security overhaul. The company announced Thursday that its internal AI tools enabled it to patch 1,072 security flaws in the two most recent versions of Chrome, both released in June. That single month's work surpasses the 1,036 bugs fixed across the previous 23 versions over the last two years. Main Developments Doug Turner, Chrome's director of engineering, told TechCrunch that large language models have fundamentally changed the economics of cybersecurity. He called the shift an automated, industrial-scale operation. By applying models like Gemini, Turner said, Google is preemptively fixing vulnerabilities, outpacing adversaries, and making Chrome safer with every update. Google published a chart alongside a white paper detailing its AI-driven bug-finding efforts. The chart shows an exponential increase in patches starting with Chrome 126 in June 2024 and peaking with Chrome 149 and 150 last month. The company calls each version a milestone. Read also: Florida Redirects $200M EV Charger Funds to Air Taxi Pads Background Cybersecurity experts have warned since the advent of large language models that AI-powered systems would find an increasingly enormous number of bugs, forcing defenders to also use AI to stay ahead of malicious hackers. Google's data now provides real-world evidence that prediction is materializing. The company is not alone in this trend. Earlier this month, Microsoft announced it had patched a record 570 security flaws across its product lines during its monthly Patch Tuesday round. Microsoft also cited its own use of AI to explain the sudden jump. Apple, however, does not appear to be registering the same exponential increase. According to an independent count, Apple has patched 482 bugs in 2026, roughly on pace to equal or surpass last year's total and roughly equal to the number patched in 2015. TechCrunch reached out to Apple for comment but did not hear back. Why It Matters For users, the numbers translate directly into a safer browsing experience. Chrome remains the world's most popular browser, making it a prime target for attackers. The AI-driven leap in patching means vulnerabilities that might have gone unnoticed for months or years are now being caught and fixed in bulk within weeks. For the broader industry, the disparity between Google and Microsoft on one side and Apple on the other raises questions about whether companies that do not adopt AI-driven security tools will fall behind. The economics of vulnerability discovery have shifted, and defenders who do not automate risk leaving their users exposed. What's Next Google is expected to continue integrating AI into its security pipeline, likely expanding the approach to other products beyond Chrome. The white paper it published hints at broader ambitions. Microsoft's parallel success suggests the approach may become an industry standard, though Apple's slower pace indicates not every company is ready to make the leap. The next milestone release will show whether the June spike was an outlier or the new normal.