Google Chrome is downloading a 4 GB Gemini Nano model onto users' machines without consent, with no opt-in, no opt-out short of enterprise tooling, and an automatic re-download every time the user deletes it. The pattern is identical to the Anthropic Claude Desktop case I wrote about last month, but the scale is between two and three orders of magnitude larger. This article does the legal analysis and, for the first time, the environmental analysis. The numbers are not small.
Re-read the article. It’s not remotely like Firefox.
The point is that Chrome without any authorization from the user, nor notification to the user, is going to utilize 4GB worth of bandwidth as well as disk space. It is dishonest and a bad practice.
You can’t turn it off in settings, you have to set flags to turn it off. This disqualifies normal everyday users from knowing how or why this is happening.
Your comments are disingenuous and seems like you’re just here to be a Google and “AI” apologist.
This behavior by Google is gross, and any company or person that thinks it’s acceptable is equally gross. The author thoughtfully cites pieces of the GDPR and other acceptable computing policies and laws which this behavior contravenes. They also discuss the environmental impacts of this behavior.
Re-read the article. It’s not remotely like Firefox.
The point is that Chrome without any authorization from the user, nor notification to the user, is going to utilize 4GB worth of bandwidth as well as disk space. It is dishonest and a bad practice.
You can’t turn it off in settings, you have to set flags to turn it off. This disqualifies normal everyday users from knowing how or why this is happening.
Your comments are disingenuous and seems like you’re just here to be a Google and “AI” apologist.
This behavior by Google is gross, and any company or person that thinks it’s acceptable is equally gross. The author thoughtfully cites pieces of the GDPR and other acceptable computing policies and laws which this behavior contravenes. They also discuss the environmental impacts of this behavior.