Fury Erupts After Google Chrome Sneakily Installs 4 GB AI Model On Users’ PCs

Google has been silently installing a 4 GB AI model file named 'weights.bin' containing Gemini Nano weights on users' computers through its Chrome browser without obtaining consent. Security researcher Alexander Hanff discovered the installation and reported that Chrome did not ask for permission before downloading the file. The model is intended to power on-device AI features within Chrome, but the lack of transparency has sparked fury among users and privacy advocates, with many describing the move as a breach of trust.

The file 'weights.bin' occupies approximately 4 GB of disk space and contains the weights for Gemini Nano, a lightweight version of Google's Gemini AI model. Hanff described the practice as 'unsolicited spyware-like behavior' due to the absence of consent and the stealthy nature of the installation. Google has not yet issued a public response to the criticism. The installation appears to occur automatically during Chrome updates, and users have reported difficulty removing the file without potentially breaking Chrome's functionality, as the model is integrated into the browser's system.

The incident highlights growing tensions between technology companies' push for local AI capabilities and user expectations of transparency and consent. On-device AI processing can improve performance and privacy by avoiding cloud uploads, but the method of deployment — without explicit user opt-in — has drawn significant criticism. The discovery adds to broader debates about the extent to which AI integration should be consensual, especially when it involves substantial storage consumption and potential security implications. Some observers have called for regulatory scrutiny of such practices.