Chrome on-device AI features may download a 4GB file to your computer

In short: Some Google Chrome AI features can automatically download a file of about 4GB to your computer, which can reduce your available storage.

The details

Google Chrome may be using more storage than some people expect because of a large file linked to its built-in AI features. According to reporting from The Verge, some users found a 4GB file named weights.bin inside Chrome’s folders after noticing their free storage suddenly drop.

This file is connected to Gemini Nano, an AI model (a bundle of saved “settings” that helps the AI work, like a cookbook full of recipes) that runs on your device instead of on Google’s servers. Chrome uses it for features like scam detection, writing help, autofill, and other suggestions. Running the AI on your own computer can have privacy benefits, but it also means the model’s data has to be stored locally.

If you want to see whether this file is on your computer, The Verge says you can look in Chrome’s data folders for a directory called OptGuideOnDeviceModel, and then check whether weights.bin is inside it. Deleting the file by itself may not solve the problem. If the related AI features are still turned on, Chrome may download it again.

To stop the file from returning, you may need to turn off Chrome’s On-device AI option. The Verge points to a Chrome setting under Settings > System where you can disable it. Google notes that the model size can change as it updates, but that detail is not always shown clearly when people turn the features on.

Source: The Verge AI