Why Google Chrome installed a secret AI model

Cybercriminals used an AI model to find and weaponize a previously unknown software flaw, Google's threat team confirmed Monday.

A behind-the-scenes look at the work of Rutherford Hall, critical communications strategist

OpenAI has shipped a Chrome extension for Codex, its AI coding agent, enabling it to complete browser-based tasks directly inside Google Chrome on macOS and Windows — including interacting with signed-in websites, using Chrome DevTools, and running multi-step workflows across browser tabs. The post OpenAI Adds Chrome Extension to Codex, Letting Its AI Agent Access LinkedIn, Salesforce, Gmail, and Internal Tools via Signed-In Sessions appeared first on MarkTechPost.

A new AI tool finds early hints of pancreatic cancer in CT scans that doctors would otherwise miss, an early test found.

Google Chrome can automatically download a local AI model that takes up to 4 gigabytes of hard drive space on a computer when certain AI features are enabled, according to The Verge. The file, called weights.bin, is used by Google’s Gemini Nano AI model to provide writing assistance, autocomplete, and fraud protection directly on the device. (Nano has been around since Gemini was introduced in late 2023.) Since the model runs locally, the AI data is stored on the computer instead of in the cloud, which can provide better privacy, but also takes up storage space. Users can check whether the file is present by looking for the OptGuideOnDeviceModel folder in Chrome’s system files. To free up the space, users need to disable the on-device feature in Chrome’s settings under Settings > System.

Mira Murati, OpenAI's former CTO, has testified under oath that CEO Sam Altman lied to her about the safety standards for a new AI model. In a video deposition shown during the ongoing Musk v. Altman trial on Wednesday, Murati said Altman falsely stated that OpenAI's legal department determined a new AI model did not need to go through the company's deployment safety board. "As you understand it, was Mr. Altman telling the truth when he made that statement to you?" Murati was asked in the deposition. "No," Murati said. Murat said that during her tenure at OpenAI, Altman made her work more difficult. Her criticism "is completely management r … Read the full story at The Verge.

Move comes as CCP Games spends $120M to go independent, rebrands as Fenris Creations.

Google Chrome may be taking up more of your storage than expected thanks to a large on-device AI model file that, in some cases, is being automatically downloaded to the browser's system folders. Users who have noticed unexplained drops in their available desktop device storage are now discovering that Chrome is installing a 4GB weights.bin file inside their browser directory when certain AI features are enabled. The weights.bin file in question is connected to Google's Gemini Nano AI model, which powers Chrome AI tools like scam detection, writing assistance, autofill, and suggestion features. As the Gemini Nano model is designed to run lo … Read the full story at The Verge.