Three Hikers Rescued After Using Google Gemini to Plan Mount Shasta Climb
Three hikers were rescued from Mount Shasta after using Google Gemini to plan their climb. The AI chatbot reportedly advised them to bring far less food and water than needed.
The men told emergency services that they had planned the hike with Google Gemini. They had camped Saturday night at 8,400 feet of elevation on the 14,179-foot mountain, then set out for the summit at 3:00 a.m. Sunday. They reached the peak at 7:00 p.m., even though hikers are generally advised to turn around if they have not made the summit by midday. On the way down, they became lost, went off course, and one hiker injured a knee. The group spent the night in “steep drainage” before being rescued.
The local sheriff’s office reported that the hikers “were advised by Gemini to bring far less food and water than their group required, especially when their planned eight-hour ascent became a multiday ordeal.” The office also said it is always advisable to call the local U.S. Forest Service Mount Shasta ranger station ahead of a trip and to “never rely solely on AI” for trip planning.