Chrome Local AI Model Raises Consent and Privacy Concerns

[Larry N.]

You might find this interesting. I find it disgusting. It's been a while since I used chrome, and now I'll uninstall it on my computers/phones:

Chrome Silently Installs a 4GB AI Model On Your Device Without Consent - Slashdot

Longtime Slashdot reader couchslug shares a report from That Privacy Guy's Alexander Hanff: Two weeks ago I wrote about Anthropic silently registering a Native Messaging bridge in seven Chromium-based browsers on every machine where Claude Desktop was installed. The pattern was: install on user...

tech.slashdot.org

And I just came across this article:

Chrome's 4GB AI model isn't new, but you're not wrong for being confused

You can stop Chrome from taking up 4GB of storage for local AI, but that shouldn't be your problem.

arstechnica.com

After a more thorough reading, the second link above eases (sort of) the pain of the first link, though far from completely.

 

[DonTom]

I find it disgusting. It's been a while since I used chrome, and now I'll uninstall it on my computers/phones:

Why do you care?

-Don- Tonopah, NV

 

[John From Detroit]

Well most browsewrs are now either doing it or planning it. But so far I can not find the files
I did find a "how to keep it from happening on windows" but I'm having a bit of a problem with the instructions... They seem a bit garbled.

Yes, you can disable every AI feature in Google Chrome – here’s how with this trick

Learn how to disable all AI features in Google Chrome on Windows 11 using Registry or Command Prompt for a cleaner, classic browsing experience.

pureinfotech.com

 

[Larry N.]

Why do you care?

-Don- Tonopah, NV

I don't want anything installed on my equipment without knowing about it, and preferably consent as well. AND I don't want any AI stuff at all- I don't trust it, and some of the bad experiences (lying to you, etc.) people have reported tell me stay away -- it's not ready to leave the lab yet.

The misnomer containing the word "intelligence" tends to lead a lot of folks to totally misunderstand that stuff, too.

 

[RayIN]

Why do you care?

-Don- Tonopah, NV

Yep, there is no requirement to use AI. It's also part of most any web browser. As to the disc space required for storage, 4GB is a tiny bit of a 1TB storage disc. I'd guess most computers have more occupied storage than that with downloaded games.

 

[DonTom]

there is no requirement to use AI.

While AI is far from perfect, I find it very useful to answer many of my dumb questions.

We just need to know when to doubt what it says.

-Don- Tonopah, NV

 

[joe&doreen]

Our GOV, is spending alot of money to fix the short comings AI why dont they try to fix the Natural Stupidity in DC

 

[Larry N.]

I'd guess most computers have more occupied storage than that with downloaded games.

Not mine- I don't do gaming. But it's not the storage so much, on my COMPUTER (cell phone is another story), but I just don't want something hanging around like that.
Apparently lots of you folks don't care, and that's fine for you, but I don't need attempts to convince me that it's OK- IT'S NOT OK, for me!

 

[John From Detroit]

I'd guess most computers have more occupied storage than that with downloaded games.

Microsoft Solitaire package... Only games on this system or my other systems
Additional games on android. but ... just one

 

[Tulecreeper]

Yep, there is no requirement to use AI. It's also part of most any web browser. As to the disc space required for storage, 4GB is a tiny bit of a 1TB storage disc. I'd guess most computers have more occupied storage than that with downloaded games.

My desktop PC has 500 GB of space. I don't ant any 4 GB taking up room that I will not use.

 

[Seilerbird]

"My desktop PC has 500 GB of space. I don't ant any 4 GB taking up room that I will not use."

Why? It is not hurt anything and soon you will be using AI like it or not.

 

[Wasillaguy]

We just need to know when to doubt what it says.

That's an easy one- always doubt what it says. Artificial intelligence is exactly that- artificial.
Actual intelligence is a whole different thing. Harder to come by and never free.

 

[runamuck]

I dont use chrome because of it's information sharing and privacy issues.. just Firefox, Opera, and Vivaldi. My pc has 3 HD's with a couple different os. none is over 500G. I mostly run win7 because I use Autocad most of the day and the version I have runs great on win7..also no connection to the mother ship. I generally dont let any program put something on my computer without permission. I also use the cloudflare server instead of google.

 

[Larry N.]

"My desktop PC has 500 GB of space. I don't ant any 4 GB taking up room that I will not use."

Why? It is not hurt anything and soon you will be using AI like it or not.

Why SHOULD I allow that if I can prevent it? It IS hurting my disc space, and WHAT is it doing there IF I can avoid using it? Is it tracking me in unknown ways, or gathering data for some outfit that will be hacked some day where my data get leaked? Why are they entitled to gather that data, if indeed that is what they do? Why should I put up with that? "What GOOD is it doing for me" is the question that should be asked. If none, then I don't want it there.

After all, we don't all use Chromebooks, and some of us actually use that disc space for something useful for us -- for example I have LOTS and LOTS of video and of still pictures, all of which take lots of space, and I have a variety of programs on the computer that I've been using for more than a decade, from flight simulator to video processing to movie making to sound processing to many other things. I use external drives, in addition to those built in, but that space is there for MY use, not for someone trying to force me into something I don't want -- IT'S NOT THEIR SPACE TO USE! It's not THEIR computer.

 

[Tulecreeper]

"My desktop PC has 500 GB of space. I don't ant any 4 GB taking up room that I will not use."

Why? It is not hurt anything and soon you will be using AI like it or not.

Then I'll wait until I'm forced into it.

 

[DonTom]

That's an easy one- always doubt what it says. Artificial intelligence is exactly that- artificial.
Actual intelligence is a whole different thing. Harder to come by and never free.

While I do agree, I still find AI very helpful. It is usually more intelligent than am.

There are also countless errors in most tech manuals so such mistakes are nothing new.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Kittykamper]

You might find this interesting. I find it disgusting. It's been a while since I used chrome, and now I'll uninstall it on my computers/phones:

Chrome Silently Installs a 4GB AI Model On Your Device Without Consent - Slashdot

Longtime Slashdot reader couchslug shares a report from That Privacy Guy's Alexander Hanff: Two weeks ago I wrote about Anthropic silently registering a Native Messaging bridge in seven Chromium-based browsers on every machine where Claude Desktop was installed. The pattern was: install on user...

tech.slashdot.org

And I just came across this article:

Chrome's 4GB AI model isn't new, but you're not wrong for being confused

You can stop Chrome from taking up 4GB of storage for local AI, but that shouldn't be your problem.

arstechnica.com

After a more thorough reading, the second link above eases (sort of) the pain of the first link, though far from completely.

I have to say, I share your concern. The idea that something “reinstalls itself” after you try and get rid of it is disturbing. I actually hate everything about these times we’re living in. Although, I see the irony, in that I am enjoying this forum so much! I’m 59 years old and I’m old-school. I hate the cellphone. And I think it’s bad for people to be staring at a phone rather than talking to someone face-to-face or enjoying the beauty in nature. Just my opinion though...

 

[DonTom]

I’m 59 years old and I’m old-school. I hate the cellphone.

I too have a bad case of SmartPhonePhobia. I wonder if you read the thread here, which I started.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Kittykamper]

I too have a bad case of SmartPhonePhobia. I wonder if you read the thread here, which I started.

-Don- Reno, NV

Heeheehee, I did actually read that stuff about nomophobia the other day. I’m happy when I can’t find my phone! But someone on that thread was right when they brought up laundromats. There are some places now where you MUST use a cellphone - some parking garages and parking spaces for example.

 

[TheBar]

Having been a programmer for 46 years Google scares me the most. Considering all the data they collect about every one of us using a computer or phone. We may have never done anything of mention but one of their algorithms might decide otherwise. AI and Google together are a really bad combination. We really need more privacy laws.