Hikers who used AI to plan trip had to be rescued, authorities say

The Brief

• Three novice hikers were rescued after becoming lost and stranded on Mount Shasta in Northern California.

• The group relied on Google's Gemini AI for route and packing advice before reaching the summit after the recommended turnaround time.

• Authorities urged hikers to follow the noon turnaround rule and carry multiple navigation tools and sufficient food and water.

MT. SHASTA, Calif.- Three novice hikers were rescued after becoming stranded on Mount Shasta, a 14,179-foot peak in Northern California's Cascade Range near the Oregon border, authorities said.

Dig deeper

The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team assisted U.S. Forest Service climbing rangers in rescuing the three men from Roseville, California, on Monday.

The hikers set up camp at about 8,400 feet on Saturday, Aug. 29. They left around 3 a.m. Sunday with daypacks to climb to the summit.

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The group reached the summit around 7 p.m., several hours after the recommended noon turnaround time. They began descending in the dark and contacted the sheriff's office for directions about an hour later.

The men eventually wandered off the Clear Creek Route and into Mud Creek Canyon. One hiker fell and injured his knee, forcing the group to spend the night in the steep drainage.

U.S. Forest Service climbing rangers found the hikers the following morning and provided medical assistance. County search and rescue volunteers then helped the group return to the trailhead.

All three hikers and the rescue teams returned safely, authorities said.

After the rescue, the men told a sheriff's deputy that they had relied heavily on Google's Gemini artificial intelligence tool for information about the route and what supplies to bring.

Authorities said the AI tool advised the hikers to pack less food and water than they needed. Their planned eight-hour ascent became a multiday ordeal after they got lost and were forced to spend the night on the mountain.

What they're saying

The sheriff's office advised hikers to contact the local Mount Shasta ranger station before beginning a climb and warned against relying solely on AI for trip planning.

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Why you should care

Officials also emphasized the importance of following the mountain's noon turnaround rule. Hikers who have not reached the summit by that time should turn around while there is still enough daylight to safely descend.

The Source

The information in this story came from the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office, which detailed the rescue operation and the hikers' reliance on Google's Gemini AI for trip-planning advice. This story was reported from Los Angeles.