Google Chrome installs Gemini Nano AI model on user devices without permission
Updated
Updated · CNET · May 8
Google Chrome installs Gemini Nano AI model on user devices without permission
17 articles · Updated · CNET · May 8
The on-device model is about 4GB, installs only on hardware that meets Chrome’s requirements, and can be found in an OptGuideOnDeviceModel folder, according to privacy advocate Alexander Hanff.
Google said in February it added Chrome settings to disable and remove the model, and that it auto-uninstalls if a device lacks sufficient processing power, memory, storage or bandwidth.
Google later said the model’s size is unchanged since its debut two years ago and has long supported on-device AI, but critics say the opaque rollout could raise GDPR and sustainability concerns in Europe.
Is your browser secretly downloading a 4GB AI model without your consent?
Who really pays the environmental and data cost for Google’s on-device AI?
When AI lives on your device without permission, does it violate your rights?