Google Chrome silently downloads 4GB AI model without user consent, sparking privacy concerns

Chrome's AI features may be hogging 4GB of your computer storage

Google Chrome may be taking up more of your storage than expected thanks to a large on-device AI model file that, in some cases, is being automatically downloaded to the browser's system folders. Users who have noticed unexplained drops in their available desktop device storage are now discovering that Chrome is installing a 4GB weights.bin file inside their browser directory when certain AI features are enabled. The weights.bin file in question is connected to Google's Gemini Nano AI model, which powers Chrome AI tools like scam detection, writing assistance, autofill, and suggestion features. As the Gemini Nano model is designed to run locally, it needs to use training parameters stored on your device rather than pulling information from cloud-based models. That provides some privacy benefits, but isn't ideal if you're low on storage -- especially as users aren't being clearly notified about the file size requirements. If you have certain Gemini AI features enabled on Chrome, it's likely that the 4GB file has already been downloaded to your system. You can check by opening your Chrome data folders and inspecting the OptGuideOnDeviceModel directory for the weights.bin file. You can't simply delete this to free up space, however -- if you still have AI features enabled, Chrome may re-download it again in the future. That means you'll need to head to Settings>System and toggle off the On-Device AI option to remove those features and prevent the file from coming back. Google does specify that "Gemini Nano's exact size may vary as the browser updates the model," but this information is presented in a lengthy guide for built-in AI features rather than at the point of enabling them in Chrome. If Google had made the storage requirements clearer to users -- or provided an option to power Chrome AI features with cloud-based models -- this confusion could have been avoided. We have reached out to Google for comment.

Google Chrome 'silently' downloads 4GB AI model to your device without permission, report claims -- researcher says practice may violate EU law, waste thousands of kilowatts of energy

Security researcher Alexander Hanff, also known as "That Privacy Guy," has published a new analysis claiming that Google Chrome is silently downloading a roughly 4GB on-device AI model to users' machines without notice or consent. According to Hanff, the behavior mirrors a separate issue he recently identified involving Anthropic's desktop software, and together the two cases point to a broader pattern of how large tech companies deploy AI features. Hanff's earlier report focused on Anthropic's Claude Desktop app, which he says quietly installed a browser integration bridge across multiple Chromium-based browsers on a system, including five browsers he did not even have installed. According to the researcher, this happened without any user prompt or meaningful disclosure, and the integration would reinstall itself if removed. He argues that this kind of silent modification of a user's environment violates both user expectations and, in his view, European privacy law. That earlier finding serves as context for what Hanff describes as a similar but even larger-scale issue with Chrome. In his latest post, he says Chrome is now writing a file called "weights.bin" to disk, part of the company's on-device AI system based on its lightweight Gemini Nano model. The file is approximately 4GB in size and is downloaded automatically on systems that meet certain hardware requirements. According to Hanff, there is no clear consent flow for this download. He says Chrome does not present a prompt explaining that a multi-gigabyte AI model will be stored locally, nor does it provide a straightforward setting to prevent it. Users who discover and delete the file will find it re-downloaded later unless they disable certain experimental flags or remove Chrome entirely. To verify what was happening, Hanff conducted a controlled test using a fresh Chrome profile on macOS. He relied on the operating system's filesystem event logs, which record file activity independently of applications. According to his analysis, the browser created the model directory and downloaded the full 4GB payload in the background while no human interaction was taking place. The process completed in just over fourteen minutes, during what appeared to be idle browsing time. He also points to Chrome's own internal state files as corroborating evidence. These show that the browser evaluated the system's hardware capabilities and marked it as eligible for the on-device model before the download occurred. In Hanff's telling, this indicates that Chrome is proactively deciding which users' machines should receive the model, rather than responding to an explicit user action. Beyond the technical details, Hanff raises legal concerns. He argues that both the Anthropic case and the Chrome case likely violate provisions of EU law, including the ePrivacy Directive's rules on storing data on user devices and the GDPR's requirements around transparency and lawful processing. These claims have not been tested in court, but they reflect a growing tension between aggressive feature rollout and regulatory expectations, particularly in Europe. (Data above calculated by Alexander Hanff) A key focus of Hanff's post is the environmental cost of silently distributing a 4GB AI model, where he highlights the perils of distributing a file of this size on a global scale. If deployed across hundreds of millions or billions of devices, Hanff estimates the total emissions impact of simply distributing the file (not even using it) could reach tens of thousands of tons of CO2 equivalent, an amount similar to the annual output of tens of thousands of cars. That estimate depends heavily on possibly dubious assumptions about scale and energy mix, but his broader point, that pushing large binaries to user devices is not free and the cost is externalized, is completely valid regardless of the math. For many users, the more immediate concern is bandwidth. A 4GB download is trivial on an unlimited fiber connection, but that is very much not the global norm, nor is it common even in the United States. For users whose data is capped, metered, or expensive, including most of the developing world, silently transferring gigabytes of data can have real financial consequences. Even in developed markets, users on mobile hotspots or rural connections may feel the impact acutely. Hanff argues that downloading files of this size without clear notice or consent crosses a very clearly demarcated line, regardless of the feature being delivered. Taken together, the two cases reinforce a familiar criticism of large technology platforms. According to Hanff, both Anthropic and Google acted first and left users to discover the consequences later. Whether it is silently registering deep system integrations (in the case of Claude Desktop) or downloading multi-gigabyte AI models in the background, the pattern is the same: the user's device is being treated as a deployment target rather than something the user actively controls. That framing may sound harsh, but it aligns with long-standing complaints about "dark patterns" in software design. Features that benefit the platform at the user's cost are enabled by default, buried behind obscure settings, or implemented in ways that make them difficult to remove. Hanff's reporting suggests that the shift toward on-device AI is not changing that dynamic, and in fact may be accelerating it. Google has not publicly responded in detail to Hanff's findings at the time of writing, and the company may argue that these downloads are tied to legitimate product features and improve privacy by keeping AI processing local. Even so, the core question remains unresolved. If a browser is going to download gigabytes of data onto a user's machine, should that require an explicit opt-in? Hanff's answer is clearly yes. Whether regulators or users ultimately agree may determine how far companies can push this kind of behavior in the future. Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.

Google Chrome Is Silently Downloading a 4GB Gemini Nano AI Model to User Devices - General Chat

Google Chrome has been quietly downloading around 4GB of Gemini Nano AI model weights to user devices without their consent, and it automatically re-downloads the files if they are deleted. This behavior has been confirmed on Windows 11, Apple Silicon, and Ubuntu systems, with user reports indicating it has been happening for about a year. The files are stored in a folder named OptGuideOnDeviceModel. On Windows 11, the path is %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\OptGuideOnDeviceModel. What Chrome's 4GB Gemini Nano Download Is Used For The 4GB folder isn't used for Chrome's main AI features. The AI Mode that appears in the address bar and in Google Search runs on Google's servers, not from the locally stored weights. The downloaded model is only used for writing assistance and a few other features that are accessible through several menus in the browser. Users who haven't enabled or looked for those features might have the model stored on their device without realizing it serves any function they use. How to Check for and Remove Chrome's AI Model Deleting the OptGuideOnDeviceModel folder doesn't stop Chrome from redownloading it. The most reliable way to remove it is to uninstall Chrome completely. If you want to disable the download without removing Chrome, you can try the following: Type chrome://flags into the address bar. Search for "Enables optimization guide on device on Android." Set the dropdown to Disabled. This flag also shows whether a device is eligible for the feature. Older hardware might not qualify, and the download seems to be limited to newer machines.

Chrome downloads a 4GB AI file without user consent, researcher alleges - Engadget

If you've paid any attention to Google lately, you know that it wants us using its AI tools. So much so that Chrome apparently downloads a 4GB file containing details for running Gemini Nano, Google's on-device LLM. Computer scientist Alexander Hanff published the details earlier this week on his website The Privacy Guy and goes into extreme detail on why this isn't a good look for Google. I just verified what he said about the file, named "weights.bin" and found itin the Chrome folder in the macOS Library directory (which is ordinarily hidden so that users don't mess with potentially critical files). Indeed, its a 4+ GB file right where he said it would be. Hanff correctly notes that at no point does Chrome prompt users to ask if they'd like to install the Gemini Nano weights, which Chrome users for AI-powered features like "help me write" and on-device scam detection. It's worth noting that on a second Mac I checked, the weights.bin file was not installed, nor was it found on a coworker's laptop. Shortly after updating Chrome to version 148.0.7778.97 on my personal laptop, the directory and file appeared. And when I deleted the directory containing the file on the first computer I checked, the large weights.bin file returned several minutes later. Hanff wrote that he saw similar behavior across multiple Windows installations, as well. "The user deletes, Chrome re-downloads, the user deletes again, Chrome re-downloads again. The only ways to make the deletion stick are to disable Chrome's AI features through chrome://flags or enterprise policy tooling that home users do not generally have, or to uninstall Chrome entirely." As Hanff notes, there are numerous issues with this behavior. It's an invisible download that the user isn't privy to and there's no opt-in, nor is it easy to remove. It's also deeply hidden in directories most users don't check, with a generic name that doesn't give any real information on what it is for. Additional issues that Hanff calls out includes that this may violate European privacy laws, including GDPR. There's also the potentially large environmental cost. Hanff estimates that a "mid-band" deployment of this 4GB file would hit 500 million devices, or about 15 percent of Chrome users. That push would result in rough 30,000 tonnes of CO2e -- the annual emissions of 6,500 cars. He also notes that this is only the initial delivery cost and that plenty of additional factors would make for a higher energy cost. We reached out to Google for comment but did not receive a response before publication. We'll update this story if we hear back.

Google Chrome has been silently pushing a 4GB AI model to your device without asking

Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. Ripple effect: Google started turning Chrome, the world's most popular web browser, into an AI browser last year in response to threats from popular AI-native rivals such as OpenAI. Recent reports have uncovered that this transition includes silently installing a large cache of AI weights on an unknown but potentially significant number of devices. Google Chrome users who have noticed unusual disk activity or unexplained drops in available storage should look for a folder called "OptGuideOnDeviceModel" inside their Chrome directory. It holds roughly 4GB of weights for Google's Gemini Nano LLM, downloaded by the browser without user consent. Deleting the folder offers no lasting relief - Chrome will simply redownload it. On Windows 11, the folder resides at %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\OptGuideOnDeviceModel. It has also been confirmed on Apple Silicon and Ubuntu machines. Uninstalling Chrome entirely is the most effective way to remove the weights. However, those who wish to continue using the browser might be able to disable the download by entering "chrome://flags" into the address bar, finding an item called "Enables optimization guide on device on Android," and selecting "Disabled" from the adjacent dropdown menu. This is also how users can determine whether their device is eligible for the feature. According to Alexander Hanff, a computer scientist and lawyer who verified the behavior in the macOS kernel file system log, users have reported the automatic downloads for around a year. They might coincide with the introduction of AI features in Chrome last fall, such as writing assistance, AI summaries, and automatic browsing. The downloads carry a notable irony: Chrome's most visible AI feature, the AI mode integrated into the address bar and Google Search, runs on Google's servers rather than the locally stored weights. The 4GB folder is only used for writing assistance and a handful of other features accessible several menus deep. Given Chrome's billions of users, the total number of affected devices - and the bandwidth consumed - could be substantial. Hanff estimates that pushing 4GB to hundreds of millions or billions of devices would amount to several exabytes of data transferred, potentially generating between 6,000 and 60,000 metric tons of CO2. However, determining the total number is difficult. This editor searched for the AI weights on two Windows 11 devices that are a few years old and found that both were ineligible, so Google might only be pushing the LLM to more modern machines. Hanff has formally accused Google of violating European privacy regulations by compelling users to download a significant volume of data without their knowledge or consent.

Chrome AI takes up 4GB of your computer storage and there may be nothing you can do about it

AI features have made their way into nearly everything, whether you want them or not. And they tend to take up tons of space. Now we know that Chrome comes with 4GB of AI onboard that it deposits into your storage In a post on That Privacy Guy, Alexander Hanff writes that Chrome comes with a 4GB weights.bin file for Gemini Nano that it writes to disk. There is no warning about the massive size or option to deselect AI features during the download of Chrome. According to Hanff, the file powers the "Help me write" feature, on-device scam detection, and other AI-assisted browser functions. Don't be fooled about privacy Hanff cautions that this seemingly local version of AI does not come with the privacy that would be implied. "Every query the user types into it is sent over the network to Google's servers for processing by Google's hosted models," he writes. In other words, users are not getting any benefit in exchange for those precious 4GB. Deleting doesn't always work If you're low on space on your computer and are ready to remove the file, there's some bad news. While you can find the file by opening the OptGuideOnDeviceModel directory in Chrome data folders, it's very likely that after you delete it, Chrome will reinstall it. If you successfully delete it, you can try to prevent a reload by going to Settings>System and toggling off the On-Device AI option, but that doesn't work for everyone. I was able to do it on a MacBook running Chrome version 148. But I was not able to do it on a Pixelbook Go running Chrome version 147. Subscribe for deeper coverage of AI storage and privacy Crave clearer analysis? Subscribe to the newsletter for expert coverage of on-device AI storage and privacy trade-offs, explaining what embedded AI means for your device space and data so you can decide wisely. Get Updates By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime. If you're looking for the bright side, you will not lose your last bit of space to Gemini Nano. On a Google page for developers, Google says, "The Gemini Nano model is automatically deleted if the device's free disk space drops below a certain threshold." Related Google just gave Chrome a massive AI overhaul Gemini's familiar side panel is in Chrome now Posts By Karandeep Singh Oberoi

Google Chrome takes up 4GB of storage on your computer for AI, if you have space

The ongoing march of AI features continues to go on, whether you want it to or not, and a recent update to Google Chrome probably installed a few gigabytes of local AI models on your computer. As highlighted in a post from The Privacy Guy and since talked about widely across the web, Google Chrome now "silently" installs 4GB worth of AI models - Gemini Nano - on your machine without directly telling you about it. The change happened recently, and eats up that additional storage on your computer with no warning. Google performs the change in the background, though it seems to depend on whether or not you have certain Gemini in Chrome features enabled. This includes "Help me write" as well as background AI-powered features such as on-device scam detection. Google launched the latter in May of 2025, so this local storage probably isn't a particularly new change. Google first announced Gemini Nano would be coming to Chrome in 2024. The 4GB of storage can be found in the "OptGuideOnDeviceModel" in a "weights.bin" file. On a developer page, Google explains that Chrome downloads a Gemini Nano model based on the "user's hardware," with Gemini Nano updates handled automatically in the background. Importantly, Google says that Gemini Nano is the first thing to go if Chrome detects that a user is running low on storage: Chrome actively manages disk space to ensure the user doesn't run out. The Gemini Nano model is automatically deleted if the device's free disk space drops below a certain threshold. The Verge notes that you should can delete the file manually, but Chrome will re-download it unless you toggle off an "on-device AI" setting in Settings > System. We couldn't access that setting, though, on a MacBook running Chrome v147. Ironically, Google's documentation on AI in Chrome tells developers that "it's best practice to alert the user to the time required to perform these downloads." Google has not directly commented on the recent criticism over Chrome's storage use for local AI.

Chrome silently downloads a 4GB AI model. Here's how to remove it

Users can permanently remove the file by disabling "On-device AI" in Chrome's system settings. Detailed instructions are provided below. Google's Chrome browser is already a notorious storage hog, but now comes word that it's crowding our PC drives in a new way: with a local AI model. That model, spotted by That Privacy Guy, gets silently downloaded to your PC or Mac upon installing Chrome, and it gobbles up a whopping 4GB of storage space. Spoiler alert: Yes, you can remove the file, and I'm going to show you how. But first, some details on what's going on. The specific file is called weights.bin. On my Mac, I found it in Chrome's Applications Support folder in Finder: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/OptGuideOnDevice Model/ Windows users will find the file in the AppData directory: C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\OptGuideOnDeviceModel\ To get to the AppData directory, press Windows Key + R, type directly into the dialog box, then press Enter. On my Mac, the weights.bin file was taking up 4.27 GB of storage. If you delete the file, Chrome will simply reinstall it the next chance it gets. So, what exactly is weights.bin and what does it do? As That Privacy Guy notes, that file includes the "weights" for Gemini Nano, the local AI model that lives in Google's Chrome browser. Unlike Gemini in the cloud, Nano sits directly on your PC and performs a variety of AI tasks directly on your system. Among the local AI duties that Gemini Nano may handle include summarizing web pages you visit, organizing your Chrome tabs, warning you about online scams, and offering writing help or rephrasing text as you type, according to a Google support page. Having a local AI model on your machine offers a number of advantages depending on the task, including lower latency and potentially greater privacy (although Chrome may still be sharing at least some of your browser activity with Google HQ). But local models also take up a lot of storage space. Gemini Nano's 4GB footprint actually isn't bad as far as smaller local models go -- the 31 billion-parameter version of Google's Gemma 4 takes up 20 GB of storage, for example, while the 128 billion-parameter Mistral Medium hogs a massive 80 GB of space. Again, simply deleting the weights.bin file won't work, as Chrome will automatically reinstall the missing file. But you can remove the 4GB download another way: by changing a single Chrome setting. Just go to Settings > System, then toggle the "On-device AI" setting to Off. When I did that on my Mac, the weights.bin file disappeared immediately. Of course, turning Chrome's local AI setting off nixed Chrome's local AI functionality, including text suggestions and scam warnings. As far as Chrome quietly installing the local AI model on your system in the first place, it's a matter of hot debate. For his part, The Privacy Guy calls out Google for depositing the file on users' PCs without a consent dialog -- and he has a point. Moving ahead, though, we're going to see more and more desktop apps downloading local AI models onto our systems, for better or worse.

Chrome may be downloading a 4GB AI model -- here's what we know

Is Chrome stealing your storage? The 'weights.bin' controversy explained I didn't expect Google Chrome to take up this much space on my computer. According to a recent report from Cybernews, some users have discovered a large file (around 4GB) quietly sitting inside Chrome's system folders. The file is reportedly named weights.bin, and it may be tied to a new wave of AI features rolling out inside Google's browser. So, the obvious question is why is Chrome downloading something this big -- and did you agree to it? Here's what's actually going on. What is the 4GB file in Chrome? At the heart of the controversy is a file called weights.bin, which researchers say is part of an on-device AI model used by Google Chrome. Specifically, it appears linked to Gemini Nano, Google's lightweight AI model designed to run locally on your device instead of in the cloud. This model powers features like writing assistance, text summarization, scam and phishing detection as well as AI-powered autofill and suggestions. So, instead of sending your data to a server, the model runs directly on your computer, which is technically better for privacy. Of course, there's an obvious tradeoff (storage). Why is the AI model so big? The thing is, even "lightweight" versions like Gemini Nano can take up gigabytes of storage because they include massive sets of trained parameters, hence a file like weights.bin. This explains why some users are noticing a sudden 4GB increase in storage usage, new folders inside Chrome directories (like OptGuideOnDeviceModel) and no obvious notification explaining what was downloaded. But all of that could be a big problem for anyone using a laptop with limited space. Did Chrome install this file without permission? Well, this is where things get a bit...murky. According to the Cybernews report, the model may download automatically when certain AI features are enabled, but users aren't always clearly told that a multi-gigabyte file is part of that process. There's no strong evidence that Chrome is installing this on every device without consent. But there is a growing concern that the download isn't always clearly explained or that it may be tied to features users didn't realize were enabled. In other words, there's no obvious "yes/no" moment for the storage impact. The company just wasn't exactly transparent. How to check if it's on your PC If you're curious (or low on storage), here's how to look: * Open File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) * Navigate to your Chrome data folders * Look for directories with names like: OptGuideOnDeviceModel or files named weights.bin These locations can vary depending on your system, but they're typically buried in Chrome's application data folders. Can you delete it? Yes, you can delete it, but there's a catch. If you delete the file, Chrome may re-download it later if the related AI features are still active. You may notice that some AI-powered features inside the browser may stop working. To fully prevent it from coming back, you may need to disable certain AI features in Chrome settings or, turn off experimental flags tied to on-device AI. Keep in mind that these settings aren't always easy to find yet, which is part of the issue. Why this is happening now While this may feel like a bug, it's actually a shift. Big tech companies like Google are rapidly moving toward on-device AI, where your laptop or phone does the processing instead of the cloud. This shift comes with benefits like better privacy, faster responses and offline functionality. But it also means your devices are starting to store parts of the AI themselves. And that's new (and a storage shock) for many users. Bottom line This isn't a "Chrome is secretly installing something malicious" situation, but it does show where software is heading. As AI gets baked into everyday tools, your computer is quietly becoming part of the system that runs it. The real issue isn't the 4GB file, it's whether anyone told you it would be there. Right now, that transparency feels like a work in progress, which makes it worth paying closer attention to what's being stored on your device. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok.

Google Chrome is installing a 4 GB AI model onto your device. Here's how you can turn it off

Chrome just decided your storage is fair game, no permission slip required. While Google Chrome is still the most popular browser, it's feeling the heat from the new wave of AI browsers, including Perplexity Comet, Dia, and more. To stay relevant, Google is adding new AI features to Chrome, which is not necessarily bad, however, this time it has taken a step too far. Open your file manager and look for a folder called "OptGuideOnDeviceModel". If you find it, Chrome has been using your storage as its personal server room. Inside that folder sits a file called "weights.bin", a roughly 4 GB file containing Gemini Nano, Google's on-device AI model. Recommended Videos Privacy professional Alexander Hanff discovered and documented this behavior using macOS's own filesystem event logs, which track every file created or modified at the operating system level. On a freshly created Chrome profile that received zero human input, the entire 4 GB model installed in under 15 minutes while a tab was just sitting there. Did anyone even ask for this? No, they didn't. In fact, Chrome doesn't even asks for permission to install the model, it just does it on its on. The model downloads automatically once Chrome decides your hardware meets its requirements, before you have ever used a single AI feature. And if you find and delete the file, Chrome re-downloads it the next time it runs. Hanff noted that "the user's deletion is treated as a transient state to be corrected, not as a directive to be respected." It gets more interesting. The most visible AI feature in Chrome, the "AI Mode" pill in the address bar, doesn't even use the local model. It sends your queries to Google Gemini servers. The on-device model powers buried features like "Help me write" in text boxes and on-device scam detection. What is the impact and how you can disable it? While this might seem like affecting only your device's storage, Hanff said that it has overarching climate impact. He estimates that if 500 million devices received this download, the bandwidth alone translates to roughly 30,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, equivalent to around 6,500 cars running for an entire year, and that is just for the delivery, not actual usage. Google needs to make this download require a user confirmation. For now, you can disable the download using "chrome://flags". Search for "Enables optimization guide on device" and turn it off. It takes more steps than it should, but it works.

Chrome's AI Might Be Taking Up a Bunch of Storage, but You Can Fix It

You can delete the file itself, but Chrome might just reinstall it if you keep these AI features turned on. Google Chrome is the most popular web browser in the world, but it isn't necessarily the most efficient. While Chrome offers users the most compatibility with Google's products and services -- not to mention a huge library of extensions -- it has a habit of hogging more system resources than other browsers, which may end up slowing down weaker hardware, or draining your laptop's battery. As it happens, the browser might also be responsible for putting a strain on your hard drive. As reported by The Verge, Google Chrome might be taking up more storage than it needs to on your Mac, PC, or Chromebook -- at least if you subscribe to one of Google's AI plans. That's due to its AI features, specifically Gemini Nano, Google's "lightweight" AI model used for scam detection, autofill, writing tools, and suggestions. It seems when a user has these AI features turned on, Chrome installs a 4GB "weights.bin" file to the browser directory. That's because Gemini Nano runs on-device, rather than in the cloud. In order to accomplish that, it needs resources on your computer to run its processes. It's not clear exactly what is causing this file to be so large, but it isn't necessarily surprising. AI processes can be intense, especially if the models are running on-device. Even though Gemini Nano is "light," 4GB sounds about right to me for the features highlighted here. There's actually an upside, too, since on-device processes are better for user privacy: For cloud-based processes, your data needs to leave your device, potentially exposing your information. Google's help center site mentions the features these models power, and discloses that Chrome will download files to run those processes, but doesn't specify the exact file size. If your computer has a large SSD or hard drive, you might not mind that added 4GB of storage -- especially if you like Gemini's features in Chrome. However, a lot of us don't have the storage space to spare, especially on machines with small hard drives to begin with. The entry-level MacBook Neo, for example, ships with 256GB of storage. Anyone who stores a local library of photos, videos, or other large files knows the challenge of trying to manage an SSD of this size. That 4GB of storage Chrome is taking up actually matters, particularly for users who do not rely on Google's AI features. As The Verge notes, you can delete the weights.bin file from the OptGuideOnDeviceModel directory on your computer. This will temporarily delete the 4GB of data, but it isn't a permanent solution. If you keep these AI features turned on, Chrome will just download the files again in the future, and your hard drive will be 4GB heavier. As such, your long-term solution is to disable these features instead. To do so, click the three dots in the top-right corner of a Chrome window, then hit "Settings." Here, head to "System," then make sure "On-device AI" is checked off. Note that this option may not be available if you aren't a Google AI subscriber, or if an organization like your school or company manages your Chrome profile. In these cases, Chrome likely didn't install the weights.bin file on your machine. For example, I don't have the option on either my personal Chrome profile or my work Chrome profile on my Mac.