Alexander Hanff

Google has modified the disclosure language about its on-device AI in Chrome, but insists that processing stays on-device. The change prompted concerns from a privacy advocate, but Google claims it doesn't reflect a change in how data is handled. The issue arose as Chrome rolled out the Prompt API and downloaded Google's Nano model onto users' devices.

Google Chrome installs a 4 GB local large language model on users' computers without consent, taking up disk space and potentially contributing to climate costs. The model, called Gemini Nano, can be disabled through Chrome's flags or enterprise policies. Users who didn't opt out can find instructions to remove the model.