Submission + - Google Quietly Pushing 4GB AI Models Through Chrome Without Clear User Consent (tomshardware.com)
boopitybooperson writes: Security researcher Alexander Hanff claims Google Chrome is silently downloading a roughly 4GB Gemini Nano AI model (âoeweights.binâ) onto eligible devices without a clear opt-in or meaningful user notification. According to testing covered by Tomâ(TM)s Hardware, Chrome evaluates device hardware in the background and automatically deploys the model locally for on-device AI features. The file reportedly re-downloads even after manual deletion unless users disable experimental settings or remove Chrome entirely.