Google Chrome stealthily installs a 4GB AI on your PC

Google Chrome is currently under fire following the discovery of a silent download of an artificial intelligence model onto users' computers. This model, weighing approximately 4 GB, is installed without prior warning, according to revelations from Alexander Hanff, a security researcher known as "That Privacy Guy." Hanff found that this download occurs in the background, without the explicit consent of users.

The downloaded file, named "weights.bin," is associated with Gemini Nano, a lightweight AI model developed by Google. According to Hanff, Google Chrome autonomously decides which devices are compatible and initiates the download without user intervention. Even if the file is deleted, it automatically reinstalls unless certain experimental options are disabled or the browser is uninstalled.

To verify his suspicions, Hanff conducted an experiment on a Mac with a fresh Chrome profile. He observed that the browser created a folder for the model and downloaded the 4 GB in the background in about fifteen minutes, while the computer appeared idle. Chrome assesses the device's capabilities before proceeding, indicating an automatic selection of compatible devices.

Legal and Environmental Implications

This practice could violate European regulations, including the GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive, which require transparency regarding data storage. Hanff emphasizes that the issue lies in the lack of informed consent from the user. He also mentions the potential environmental impact of this practice.

At a scale of 100 million devices, or about 3% of Chrome users, the transfer would represent 400 petabytes of data, an energy consumption of 24 GWh, and nearly 6,000 tons of CO₂ equivalent. If the number rises to 500 million devices, or about 15% of users, the volumes explode to 2 exabytes of data transferred, 120 GWh of energy consumed, and approximately 30,000 tons of CO₂ equivalent. Finally, at the scale of one billion devices, or about 30% of Chrome users, the figures reach 4 exabytes of data, 240 GWh of electricity used, and nearly 60,000 tons of CO₂ equivalent.

Consequences for Users

For users, a 4 GB download can be problematic, especially with limited data plans or on expensive mobile networks. In some countries, this could lead to unexpected costs, exacerbated by the lack of prior information. Such a download may seem trivial with an unlimited fiber connection, but it becomes much more problematic in other contexts.

A Worrying Trend Among Tech Giants

This incident is part of a series of criticisms directed at major tech companies, including Google and Anthropic. Hanff accuses these companies of deploying their technologies without clear explanations, turning users' devices into deployment platforms rather than tools under their control. This approach resembles "dark patterns" in software, where certain features are enabled by default and difficult to disable.

According to Hanff's analysis, the arrival of embedded AI does not correct this trend; it may even reinforce it. Google has yet to respond in detail to these accusations but may justify these downloads by citing functional needs, particularly to enable local AI processing, which is supposed to enhance privacy.