How to block Google’s Chrome AI model with an easy Windows 11 Registry Mod
How to stop Google Chrome’s 4GB AI model download
Earlier this week, it was uncovered that Google Chrome was downloading a large 4GB AI model onto users’ machines without their consent. If users choose to delete the mode, Google redownloads it, wasting data while ignoring their choice.
Thankfully, Neowin has discovered a Windows 11 registry policy that prevents this model from redownloading. In fact, enabling it forces Chrome to delete the AI model. This policy is intended to give organisations and enterprises control over their browsers and their AI capabilities. Sadly, this setting is only available to Windows 11 Pro users, limiting this tweak to a minority of Windows users.
If you are a Windows Home user, there is a setting in Chrome that allows users to disable “On-device AI”, which we will detail later in this article.
Registry Settings to the rescue
To stop these AI model downloads for Edge and Chrome, you need to find the “GenAILocalFoundationalModelSettings” variable and switch it from “Allowed (0)” to “Disallowed (1)”. This will prevent the model from downloading and remove any previously downloaded models.
How to implement the edit for Chrome and Edge
Below is how to complete this edit on Edge
- Open Registry Editor (REGEDIT.msc)
- Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
- Then: SOFTWARE
- Then: Policies
- Then: Microsoft
- Then: Edge
- Set the value of “GenAILocalFoundationalModelSettings” to 1
For Google Chrome, the process is similar
- Open Registry Editor (REGEDIT.msc)
- Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
- Then: SOFTWARE
- Then: Policies
- Then: Google
- Then: Chrome
- Set the value of “GenAILocalFoundationalModelSettings” to 1
What about Windows 11 Home users?
In Google Chrome’s settings, users can disable “On-device AI”. Inside Chrome, navigate to settings, then System, and then toggle “On-device AI” to off. Doing so will prevent AI-based features that rely on Google’s models from working on Chrome, though it will free up storage space on your device.
If you choose to re-enable this setting, you will allow Google’s AI model to be downloaded and used. The time it takes to download will depend on your internet speed and the model’s size at that time.
Should you allow Google’s Gemini Nano models to run on your PC?
Honestly, the big problem with Google’s Gemini Nano model download is that it’s an optional feature that was forced on Chrome users. Google chose to enable this download by default, forcing AI onto the browsers of many unsuspecting Chrome users. Depending on how much storage your PC has, 4GB can be a lot of space. Regardless, integrating AI into Chrome should have been implemented as an opt-in feature, not an opt-out feature.
For people with limited data caps, Google has wasted 4GB of your limited internet connectivity. For almost all Chrome users, this model wastes 4GB of your precious HDD/SSD space. While AI models have the potential to be useful, their use should not be forced. Furthermore, Google shouldn’t assume that it can freely waste 4GB of your PC’s storage without your consent. Chrome itself doesn’t take up anywhere near that much storage.
You can join the discussion on Google’s Chrome AI model and its automatic download on the OC3D Forums.
