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

Google Chrome was accused of silently downloading a 4 GB file tied to Google’s Gemini Nano model when default AI features were enabled.

Security researcher Alexander Hanff said deleting the file can trigger re-downloads unless AI features are manually turned off.

The report sparked backlash over user consent, storage usage, privacy, emissions, and possible GDPR compliance issues.

Rival browsers and users on Reddit and X criticized the move as opaque and potentially intrusive.