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Google Chrome Is Installing a 4 GB AI Model Onto Your Device. Here’s How You Can Turn It Off
Chrome installs a 4 GB Gemini Nano file without permission and can redownload it after deletion, while users can turn the feature off in flags.
- Google Chrome is silently installing a roughly 4 GB Gemini Nano AI model on user devices without requesting permission, with the file downloading automatically once hardware requirements are met.
- Privacy professional Alexander Hanff discovered this behavior using filesystem event logs, documenting that Chrome ignores user deletion attempts by treating them as a transient state to be corrected.
- Users can locate the file in a folder called 'OptGuideOnDeviceModel' or disable the download by searching 'Enables optimization guide on device' within 'chrome://flags.'
- Tech journalist Rachit Agarwal stated Google should require user confirmation for downloads, while Hanff warned the automatic installation carries an overarching climate impact due to widespread deployment.
- Google Chrome faces heat from a new wave of AI browsers including Perplexity Comet and Dia. To stay relevant, Google is adding AI features to Chrome, though critics argue this approach has taken a step too far.
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Last year, Google started turning Chrome into a browser with AI in response to threats from popular competitors. Recent reports have revealed that this transition includes the silent installation of a large...
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Google Chrome Accused of Secretly Installing 4GB AI Model, Raising Privacy and Legal Concerns
Google is the latest company to generate negative headlines for its AI integration, due to its Gemini AI integration into Chrome announced back in September of last year. In the months since, the feature has rolled out to users' PCs, and since you have to opt out, most people are now using Chrome with AI features enabled by default. Privacy
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Total News Sources22
Leaning Left0Leaning Right1Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution75% Center
Bias Distribution
- 75% of the sources are Center
75% Center
C 75%
R 25%
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