Three young men were rescued from California’s Mount Shasta this week after they used Google’s AI chatbot Gemini to plan their hike, the Chicago Tribune reported.
According to a report from the Siskiyou County sheriff’s office, the hikers started their ascent at 3am. Although hikers are advised to turn back if they have not reached the summit by noon, the trio did not reach the top until 7pm. After summiting late, they attempted to descend in the dark, called the sheriff’s office for directions, and spent the night in Mud Creek Canyon.
Forest Service rangers and volunteers rescued the men the following morning.
The sheriff’s office said it is unclear whether Gemini is entirely to blame for the group’s decisions, but that the AI “advised them to bring far less food and water than their group required, especially when their planned 8-hour ascent became a multiday ordeal.”
The Siskiyou County sheriff’s office advised hikers to call the local USFS Mount Shasta ranger station before trips to obtain the most accurate information and warned against relying solely on AI for trip planning.
