How to Disable Google’s Gemini in Chrome
If you use Google’s Chrome browser for desktop, there might be a hidden AI model running on your computer called Gemini Nano. This was added by Google after building the model into the browser in 2024 and taking up about 4 GB of space.
However, if this isn’t something you want or are unaware of, you can turn it off. To do so, open Chrome on your computer, click the “More” menu represented by three vertical dots in the top right corner, then go to Settings, System, and toggle “On-device AI” to be turned off.
The Privacy Guy reported this week that many users were unaware of Gemini Nano’s presence. This highlights how difficult it has become for users to keep up with all the new AI services and features in the tech industry.
Directly uninstalling the Gemini Nano file from your computer directory will cause Chrome to silently redownload it next time the browser reboots. To prevent this, you should turn off the “On-device AI” setting in Chrome.
A Google spokesperson states that once disabled, the model will no longer download or update. The company also mentions that if your device is low on resources, the system will automatically uninstall Gemini Nano.
What It Means for Makers and Artists
- The On-device AI toggle allows developers to integrate local AI capabilities without sending data to the cloud.
- It provides important security features like on-device scam detection.
- However, it also means that certain Google services might not work as expected if you disable this feature.
Google built Gemini Nano into Chrome to enable these capabilities. These features are separate from the AI Mode in Chrome, which does not use the local model.
Key Takeaways
- The On-device AI toggle allows users to control whether they want Google’s AI model running locally on their device.
- Directly uninstalling the model file can cause Chrome to redownload it, so turning off “On-device AI” is recommended.
- Disabling this feature could affect how non-Google web services function in Chrome.
Originally published at wired.com. Curated by AI Maestro.
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