Google Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your device without consent

Re:Google Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your d... by newsoftheday on Tuesday May 05, 2026 @05:11PM (#48028634)

This is what I've done after spending some time to look into it, this is for Linux Desktop:

Delete Chrome's silent 4 GB AI model file and AI

In Chrome, go to: chrome://flags

  Search for and Disable these:

  Enables optimization guide on device

  Prompt API for Gemini Nano

  AI Mode

Open DevTools (F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I).

  Click the Settings (gear icon).

  Go to AI Innovations and uncheck Enable AI assistance.

For Linux, in a bash shell, this should prevent Chrome from trying to download the file again because the root user instead of my user, will own the file/directory.

  sudo rm -rf ~/.config/google-chrome/OptGuideOnDeviceModel

  sudo rm -rf ~/.config/googlechrome/Default/OptGuideOnDeviceModel

  sudo touch ~/.config/google-chrome/OptGuideOnDeviceModel

  sudo chmod 400 ~/.config/google-chrome/OptGuideOnDeviceModel

  sudo touch ~/.config/google-chrome/Default/OptGuideOnDeviceModel

  sudo chmod 400 ~/.config/google-chrome/Default/OptGuideOnDeviceModel

In case they already existed from doing the above previously, make sure root user owns them.

  sudo chown root:root ~/.config/google-chrome/OptGuideOnDeviceModel

  sudo chown root:root ~/.config/google-chrome/Default/OptGuideOnDeviceModel

List to check them.

  ls -l ~/.config/google-chrome/OptGuideOnDeviceModel

  ls -l ~/.config/google-chrome/Default/OptGuideOnDeviceModel

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Google Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your d... by hashseed on Tuesday May 05, 2026 @05:32PM (#48028893)

DevTools uses a server side model, and only after you opt in with explicit consent.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Google Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your d... by eclipticplane on Tuesday May 05, 2026 @11:02PM (#48031623)

Or accidentally trigger it because you're using a key binding you've used for 15 years that, upon hitting an unexpected consent screen, triggers the consent button.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Google Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your d... by newman314 on Tuesday May 05, 2026 @10:59PM (#48031617)

FWIW, first two sections worked for Chrome on Windows.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Google Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your d... by account42 on Wednesday May 06, 2026 @05:24AM (#48034146)

That's a lot of steps compared to using a browser that doesn't treat your computer as their property.

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Re:Google Chrome silently installs a 4 GB AI model on your d... by newsoftheday on Wednesday May 06, 2026 @11:15AM (#48037225)

I just learned from this Reddit post about the On-Device AI setting:

https://www.reddit.com/r/chrome/comments/1t536x6/psa_chrome_...

"On-device AI" can be disabled. At least, it is in Chrome on Linux Desktop.

[ Parent | on HN ]