A growing number of Chrome users are discovering that Google's browser may have quietly downloaded a sizeable AI model onto their devices as part of the company's push towards on-device artificial intelligence.
The software, known as Gemini Nano, is a lightweight version of Google's Gemini AI designed to run directly on laptops and desktops. Unlike traditional AI tools that depend heavily on cloud computing, Gemini Nano performs certain tasks locally, allowing faster responses and reducing reliance on internet connectivity.
While Google describes the technology as a way to improve performance and privacy, its rollout has attracted scrutiny after researchers found that the model had been downloaded to some eligible devices without any prominent notification. For users with limited storage space, the discovery has been particularly surprising, as the installation can consume roughly 4GB of disk space.
What is Gemini Nano and why is Chrome using it?
According to The Indian Express, Gemini Nano forms part of Google's broader effort to bring AI capabilities directly onto users' devices. The model powers features such as content summarisation, writing assistance, scam detection and other AI-driven tools that can function without constantly communicating with Google's servers.
By running AI locally, Google can reduce server costs while delivering faster performance. It also allows certain tasks to be processed on the device itself, which the company says can improve privacy in some situations.
The model is typically stored as a file called "weights.bin" and is downloaded through Chrome's optimisation systems when the browser determines a device meets the required specifications.
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Why privacy advocates are concerned?
According to The Indian Express, the main criticism is not the technology itself but the manner in which it appears to have been deployed. Privacy advocates argue that many users were never clearly informed that a multi-gigabyte AI model was being installed on their computers.
The issue has reignited a wider debate surrounding AI integration in consumer software. Critics contend that users should have greater visibility and control when significant files are downloaded automatically, especially when those downloads consume storage resources.
Some observers have also raised questions about transparency requirements under privacy regulations, particularly in regions with stricter digital consent frameworks.
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How users can disable or remove it?
According to The Indian Express, users who do not wish to keep Gemini Nano on their devices can disable Chrome's on-device AI features through the browser's settings.
On Mac devices, the process is relatively straightforward. Users can navigate to Chrome Settings, open the System section and switch off the On-device AI option.
Windows users may need to take additional steps. After disabling On-device AI in Settings, they can access Chrome's experimental flags page, disable the optimisation guide feature, restart the browser and remove the associated AI model folder from Chrome's local data directory.
