Chrome’s AI features can take up to 4GB of space on your computer
Google Chrome can automatically download a local AI model that takes up to 4 gigabytes of hard drive space on a computer when certain AI features are enabled, according to The Verge. The file, called weights.bin, is used by Google’s Gemini Nano AI model to provide writing assistance, autocomplete, and fraud protection directly on the device. (Nano has been around since Gemini was introduced in late 2023.) Since the model runs locally, the AI data is stored on the computer instead of in the cloud, which can provide better privacy, but also takes up storage space. Users can check whether the file is present by looking for the OptGuideOnDeviceModel folder in Chrome’s system files. To free up the space, users need to disable the on-device feature in Chrome’s settings under Settings > System.