Chrome's AI features may be hogging 4GB of your computer storage
Some Chrome on-device AI features can trigger a multi‑gigabyte Gemini Nano model download, surprising users on low-storage machines.
Chrome users have reported unexpected drops in available disk space tied to a 4GB file called weights.bin that’s associated with Google’s on-device Gemini Nano model. The file may be downloaded when certain Chrome AI features are enabled, storing model parameters locally so the features can run on-device.
The Verge notes the size can be a problem for storage-constrained devices and that simply deleting the file may not help if the AI features remain enabled and Chrome downloads it again. One workaround is to disable the “On-Device AI” option in Chrome’s settings to prevent re-downloads.
Read the original reporting at The Verge.
