Three hikers were rescued from California’s Mount Shasta after using Google’s Gemini chatbot to help plan an expedition that turned into an overnight ordeal.
The three young men began their ascent at 3am, but did not reach the summit until 7pm, according to a report from the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office.
Hikers are advised to turn back if they have not reached the summit by noon. The group nevertheless attempted to descend after dark before calling the sheriff’s office for directions.
They spent the night in Mud Creek Canyon and were rescued the following morning by Forest Service rangers and volunteers.
The sheriff’s office said Gemini had advised the hikers to take substantially less food and water than they needed, particularly after their planned eight-hour ascent became a multi-day trip.
It was not clear whether the chatbot was solely responsible for the decisions made during the expedition.
The sheriff’s office urged people planning trips to contact the local US Forest Service Mount Shasta ranger station in advance for the latest information, adding that they should “never rely solely on AI for their trip planning”.
