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Summarizer API performance preference

Category
Miscellaneous
Type
New or changed feature
Status
Proposed (Chrome Proposed)
Intent stage
None

Summary

The current Summarizer (https://chromestatus.com/feature/5193953788559360) relies on large on-device models, which can imply high latency, high resource usage, and limited device compatibility. We propose adding a preference parameter to SummarizerCreateCoreOptions, enabling developers to explicitly balance model capabilities against performance and broader device support.

Motivation

The current Summarizer largely relies on powerful, high-parameter count on-device models. While these models offer high-quality outputs and a broad feature set, they come with significant "pain points" for web adoption such as: high resource requirements, limited device coverage, and performance latency. Currently, developers have no way to signal to the browser that they are willing to trade off some output quality or specific advanced features for faster execution or broader device compatibility.

Standards & signals

Explainers: https://github.com/webmachinelearning/writing-assistance-apis/blob/main/explainers/summarizer-preference-param.md

View on chromestatus.com