An article has been published[1] explaining how to prevent #Chrome from downloading the #Gemini Nano model on #Windows via a Registry change.

[jscholes@dragonscave.space]

An article has been published[1] explaining how to prevent #Chrome from downloading the #Gemini Nano model on #Windows via a Registry change. But it seems to me that such a method is only effective for as long as Google respects that policy in the Registry, doesn't change its name/path, etc.

Instead, has anybody tried creating an empty weights.bin file in the relevant location[2], and then removing all permissions from that file so that Chrome can't read, write, replace, or do anything else with it?

[1] https://pureinfotech.com/stop-chrome-gemini-nano-download-windows-11/

[2] %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\OptGuideOnDeviceModel

#AI #LLM #LLMs

[jscholes@dragonscave.space]

I just did this on my own machine which hadn't received the unwanted download yet. I also revoked all permissions on the "OptGuideOnDeviceModel" folder, preventing its contents from even being enumerated.

That said: as Chrome hadn't downloaded the file in the first place, it's impossible to tell whether this is a sound solution or not. The continued absence of the model file isn't really evidence.

And, Google could just change where they store it anyway.

[jscholes@dragonscave.space]

So, probably do the Registry thing as well.