Security researcher Alexander Hanff discovered that Google Chrome secretly installed the four-gigabyte Gemini Nano LLM on users' devices without permission, stored in an OptGuideOnDeviceModel folder with a weights.bin file. The model provides advanced auto-correct and text suggestion features through in-browser APIs. Chrome users reported slower performance and hefty disk access after installation.
Chrome LLM installation
- ▪Chrome users noticed slower performance and hefty disk access after the LLM installation
- ▪Chrome is by far the most popular web browser
- ▪The Chrome LLM will be used to provide advanced auto-correct and text suggestion features
- ▪Google installed an LLM as part of the Chrome browser without user knowledge
- ▪The Gemini Nano model installed in Chrome is four gigabytes in size
- ▪The Chrome LLM is available through a set of in-browser APIs
Global power consumption increase
- ▪The installation of an extremely energy intensive LLM on billions of computers will have a significant effect on global power consumption
- ▪The Chrome LLM installation will cause a consequent uptick in the carbon footprint of computing
User consent violations
- ▪Chrome users cannot use the installed LLM for anything except what Google Chrome wants it to be used for
- ▪The Chrome LLM is not under user control and is ultimately controlled by Google
- ▪The Chrome LLM has been installed without user consent
Local LLM alternatives
- ▪Siri has used a local LLM on Apple devices for a while
- ▪Usage data from Llama.cpp is not sold to third parties
- ▪Llama.cpp is a local LLM that users can install on their own machine
Opt-in software models
- ▪A user-controlled local LLM could make its services available to applications such as a web browser if the user allows it to
- ▪A user-controlled local LLM should not run unless asked by the user
Perspective of Privacy and security advocates (represented by Alexander Hanff)
- ▪A user-controlled local LLM should not run unless asked by the user and should make its services available to applications only if the user allows it
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