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Google Chrome has come under fire after it was discovered that the browser automatically downloads the AI model Gemini Nano to users' computers, which is about 4 GB in size. The issue has sparked considerable criticism from privacy experts, and now Google itself has weighed in. The company explains that the local AI model is an important component of Chrome's security and the future of AI-based features.
Chrome downloads AI without asking the user
The entire situation was publicised by privacy researcher Alexander Hanff, who discovered that Chrome downloads Gemini Nano in the background without explicit user consent. Moreover, manually deleting the files led to their re-download after restarting the browser. Particularly controversial was the fact that the most prominent AI feature in Chrome, namely "AI Mode" in the address bar, does not actually use a local model. User queries are sent to Google’s cloud. This means that users incur the cost of downloading several gigabytes of data and occupying storage space, even though the main AI functions still operate online. Critics have also begun to point out potential legal issues in Europe, especially in the context of regulations regarding consent for data storage on users' devices.
Google claims that Gemini Nano is important for Chrome security
The issue was addressed by Parisa Tabriz, head of Google Chrome. According to her, Gemini Nano will be a key element in the development of AI features operating locally on the device from 2024. The company explains that the model helps, among other things, in detecting fraud and analysing threats without the need to send user data to Google servers. Google also emphasises that the model can automatically remove itself when there is low free space on the disk. However, the company has yet to clearly respond as to why the system re-downloads files after they have been manually deleted or why users initially did not receive clear information about the installation. According to Google, the feature can now be disabled in the Chrome settings, and then the model should not return.
The automatic installation of Gemini Nano has sparked another major debate around privacy and AI in web browsers. Google justifies its actions with security concerns, but many users still criticise the lack of clear consent and the way the system operates.
source: digitaltrends
