Google Chrome Secretly Installs 4GB AI Model

Summary

Users of Google Chrome are expressing outrage after the browser was found to be silently installing a 4-gigabyte AI model on their devices without consent. This AI model, identified as part of Google's Gemini Nano, is reportedly stored in a file named weights.bin. Security researchers discovered the file and noted that Chrome reinstalls it even if a user attempts to delete it. Critics argue this practice is a violation of user privacy and a potential security risk, comparing it to malware. Concerns are also raised about the lack of transparency from Google, which has remained largely silent on the issue. While Google claims the model powers features like scam detection without sending data to the cloud, the substantial storage requirement and the method of installation have drawn widespread criticism. Some users are advising others to switch to 'standard' protection settings within Chrome instead of 'enhanced' protection to prevent the download, or to explore alternative browsers like Firefox. There's speculation that Google is pushing these AI models to artificially inflate user numbers and justify its significant investments in AI development.