Google Chrome is installing a 4 GB AI model on your device. Here’s how to disable it.
Chrome has decided that your storage is up for grabs without requiring your permission.
Rachit Agarwal / Digital Trends
Although Google Chrome remains the leading browser, it faces competition from a new generation of AI browsers like Perplexity Comet and Dia. To remain competitive, Google is incorporating new AI features into Chrome, which isn't necessarily a bad move, but this time it seems to have overstepped boundaries.
If you check your file manager, you might find a folder named “OptGuideOnDeviceModel.” If it’s there, it indicates that Chrome has been utilizing your storage as if it were its own server room. Within that folder is a file labeled “weights.bin,” approximately 4 GB in size, housing Gemini Nano, Google's AI model for on-device use.
Privacy expert Alexander Hanff uncovered and documented this behavior through macOS's filesystem event logs, which monitor all file creation and modification at the operating system level.
On a newly created Chrome profile that received no user input, the entire 4 GB model installed in less than 15 minutes while a tab was open and idle.
Was there any request for this?
No, there wasn't. In fact, Chrome does not seek permission to install the model; it initiates the download independently. The model automatically downloads once Chrome determines that your hardware meets its criteria, even before you have utilized any AI features.
And in the event you delete the file, Chrome will re-download it the next time it is opened. Hanff pointed out that "the user's deletion is treated as a temporary state to be rectified, not as a request to be honored."
The situation becomes even more intriguing. The most prominent AI feature in Chrome, the “AI Mode” button in the address bar, does not even utilize the local model. Instead, it directs your queries to Google Gemini servers. The on-device model supports lesser-known features like “Help me write” in text boxes and local scam detection.
What are the implications, and how can you disable it?
While this may seem like it only affects your device's storage, Hanff has stated that it has broader environmental consequences. He estimates that if 500 million devices received this download, the resulting bandwidth usage would equal approximately 30,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of 6,500 cars operating for an entire year, and this is solely for the delivery, not actual usage.
Google should make this download contingent on user confirmation. Currently, you can disable the download by navigating to “chrome://flags.” Look for “Enables optimization guide on device” and turn it off. Though it requires more steps than it ideally should, it is effective.
Rachit Agarwal / /d
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Google Chrome is in the process of downloading a 4 GB AI model to your device. Here’s how you can disable it.
Google Chrome is discreetly downloading a 4 GB Gemini Nano model to your device without your permission. Here's an explanation of what it is, its location on your computer, and the steps you can take regarding it.
Google Chrome is installing a 4 GB AI model on your device. Here’s how to disable it.
Google Chrome is discreetly downloading a 4 GB Gemini Nano model to your device without your permission. Here's what it is, its location on your computer, and the steps you can take in response.