Block Chrome On-Device AI

What is this?

Recent versions of Google Chrome silently download a local generative AI model (Gemini Nano) in the background on capable machines. The model is fetched as a Chromium component, can be several gigabytes, and runs locally inside your browser without an explicit prompt or way to opt out from the regular Settings UI.

Why block it?

• The model is installed without informed consent and consumes disk, RAM, and CPU
• On-device AI features can read page content and your typed input to generate suggestions
• Component updates keep the model refreshed even after browser restarts
• Removing the files manually does not stop Chrome from re-downloading them

What this toggle does

Stealth writes the official Chromium enterprise policy GenAiDefaultSettings = 2 at HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Policies\\Google\\Chrome. With that value Chrome treats every covered GenAI feature as "Do not allow" and purges any on-device model files on the next launch. Turning the toggle off removes the policy value so Chrome reverts to its default behavior.

Remove existing model files

After enabling the policy you can use the Remove Models button to delete any model component directories Chrome already downloaded under %LOCALAPPDATA%\\Google\\Chrome\\User Data. Close Chrome before clicking it.

Verifying it worked

Open chrome://policy, click Reload policies, and confirm that GenAiDefaultSettings is listed with value 2. Chrome must be restarted for the policy and model purge to take effect.

Safety

This setting only affects Google Chrome's GenAI features. Stealth does not disable Chrome updates, so security patches continue to install normally. Other Chromium browsers (Edge, Brave, Opera) are not affected.