It gets better and better, don't it?

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Not sure how accurate this is but from the google AI this is the answer

The 4GB weights.bin file is a component of Google Chromeā€™s Optimization Guide On-Device Model. It is used for Gemini Nano and is downloaded without user prompts. [1, 2, 3, 4]

This file is automatically managed by Chrome for on-device AI features. It is typically located at: C:\Users\Username\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\OptGuideOnDeviceModel\ [1, 2, 3, 4]

How to Stop Silent Download/Remove File

  1. Delete the File: Delete the weights.bin file to recover space.

  2. Disable via Chrome Flags:

    • Open Chrome and type chrome://flags in the address bar.

    • Search for ā€œOptimization Guideā€ or ā€œOn-Device Modelā€.

    • Set ā€œEnable optimization guide on deviceā€ to Disabled.

    • Relaunch the browser.

  3. Prevent Re-downloading: If the file returns, you may need to disable AI features in settings or use registry edits to block ā€œGenAILocalFoundationalModelSettingsā€. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Why This Happens

  • Purpose: The weights.bin file is used for on-device machine learning tasks (local AI), such as Gemini Nano, which allows the browser to process AI features without sending data to a server.

  • Behavior: Chrome downloads this automatically when AI features are enabled. If deleted, Chrome may re-download it during a future update

Search prompt used was this

AI model file to disk without asking. The file is named weights.bin

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Or the shortcut :sweat_smile:

yay -R google-chrome

Iā€™d be curious though, if the model is stored within the userā€™s home directory ~/, does it also get uninstalled?

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Yer Iā€™m not installing to test lol, if I could run a vm would be interesting to see what it gets upto

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Anybody knows how ungooglled-chromium adresses this?

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From what I found from a quick search it should not be there by default as this relies on google in the end

Have not tested or looked further. I would suggest looking at what features a browser offers and go from there to find what you need

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Itā€™s not the installing or even reinstalling of the model that bothers me. Itā€™s that thereā€™s no easy way to opt out, or that itā€™s not opt in.

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Google, if you expect different by now I would suggest getting some pro help :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes: (just have a bit of a dig but use what works for you but there are a lot of other options)

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Yeah, it doesnā€™t surprise me, but it saddens me :crying_cat:

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Yer, it is sad but business is business sadly (I get ya)

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Brave has recently released a new version of the Brave Browser named Brave Origin which is a clean version of Brave without the everything AI and Wallet etcā€¦ Only the blocker and sync. Normally on Windows and Mac its 60$ with 10 activations. Fortunately on linux itā€™s free. As a Brave user for long time iā€™ve switch to it recently. Note that it is still a beta at the time iā€™m writing this. Iā€™ve been using it for the last 3 or 4 days without any issue.

https://support.brave.app/hc/en-us/articles/38561489788173-What-is-Brave-Origin

But there are plenty of other Browsers if you donā€™t want Brave for some reason like Helium which is another one. Comes with Ublock Origin and nothing else. No AI, no sync or anything else. You are full local.

Didnā€™t try this one yet but I have it installed. Both seems to run relatively faster and are snappier in my tests which are not scientific at all just my gut feeling YMMV.

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Seen something about this yesterday, Iā€™m yet to give it a try but am going to

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Been using Helium Browser for sometime now, no issues here.

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I use Vivaldi which is not going AI.

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Good solution from all I have heard, I havenā€™t yet tried it

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Itā€™s a bit like the KDE of browsers - lots of options & preferences. I switched after Mozilla dropped the ball so many times in recent years, and wouldnā€™t go back now.

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Vivaldi says theyā€™re not going AI. I believe them but, I did find the settings in question set to defaultā€“I did not read Vivaldi docs to see if the default state IS disabled-I just disabled them (edit changed it to them).

I then did a find:

/]$ sudo find -name ā€œweights.binā€
find: ā€˜./run/user/1000/docā€™: Permission denied

Seems good to me.

Perhaps the google thing is based on whether or not youā€™ve chosen (or have been tricked into choosing) to USE their AI.

Phishing psychology being what it is maybe a bunch of people just agreed to it without even realizing it?

I do not doubt for one second that business will use phishing psychology if they can think of a way to do it legally and to their own benefit.