Three hikers were rescued from California’s Mount Shasta this week after using Google’s AI chatbot Gemini to plan their expedition, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The Siskiyou County sheriff’s office reported that three young men set off at 3 a.m. Although standard advice dictates turning back if the summit isn't reached by noon, the group successfully reached the peak at 7 p.m.
Attempting to descend in the dark, the trio contacted the sheriff's office for guidance and spent the night in Mud Creek Canyon. They were subsequently rescued the next morning by Forest Service rangers and volunteers.
While the sheriff's office did not explicitly assign full blame to the chatbot, they noted that the group "was advised by Gemini to bring far less food and water than their group required, especially since their planned eight-hour ascent became a multiday ordeal."
"It is always advisable to call the local USFS Mount Shasta ranger station ahead of your trip to ensure you have the most accurate information, and to never rely solely on AI for your trip planning," the sheriff’s office advised.
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