Even though Google Chrome remains the dominant web browser, it is facing increasing competition from a new generation of AI-driven browsers, such as Perplexity Comet, Dia, and others. In an effort to remain competitive, Google is integrating advanced AI capabilities into Chrome. While this development is not inherently negative, the company’s latest approach has crossed a line.
Check your file manager for a directory named “OptGuideOnDeviceModel.” If this folder exists, Chrome is utilizing your hard drive space as a local server. Within this directory lies a file named “weights.bin,” which is approximately 4 GB in size and contains Gemini Nano, Google’s on-device artificial intelligence model.
Privacy expert Alexander Hanff identified and recorded this activity using macOS file system event logs, which monitor all file creation and modification at the operating system level.
On a brand-new Chrome profile that received absolutely no user interaction, the full 4 GB model was installed in less than 15 minutes while a tab was simply open.
Was This Installation Requested by Users?
Absolutely not. Chrome does not seek user permission before installing the model; it proceeds independently. The model automatically downloads once Chrome determines that your hardware meets the necessary specifications, long before you interact with any AI functionalities.
Google ChromeFurthermore, if you locate and remove this file, Chrome will automatically re-download it upon the next launch. Hanff observed that “the user’s deletion is treated as a transient state to be corrected, not as a directive to be respected.”
The situation becomes even more complex. The most prominent AI feature in Chrome, the “AI Mode” button in the address bar, does not utilize the local model. Instead, it forwards your queries to Google Gemini servers. The on-device model is reserved for less visible functions such as “Help me write” in text fields and local scam detection.
What Are the Consequences and How Can You Disable It?
While this may appear to only impact your storage capacity, Hanff highlighted its broader environmental consequences. He calculated that if 500 million devices downloaded this file, the bandwidth consumption alone would result in approximately 30,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, comparable to 6,500 cars operating for a full year, and this figure only accounts for the download process, not subsequent usage.
Rachit Agarwal / /dGoogle should require explicit user confirmation for such downloads. In the meantime, you can prevent this by navigating to “chrome://flags”. Search for “Enables optimization guide on device” and disable the option. Although the process is more involved than it should be, it is effective.