Three hikers were rescued from Mount Shasta in California this week after reportedly using Google's AI chatbot, Gemini, to plan their expedition. The Siskiyou County sheriff's office reported that the hikers were advised by Gemini to bring significantly less food and water than required for their group.
The three young men began their hike at 3am and reached the summit at 7pm, despite advice for hikers to turn around by noon if the summit is not reached. They attempted to descend in the dark and called the sheriff's office for directions, spending the night in Mud Creek Canyon before being rescued the following morning.
The sheriff's office recommended contacting the local USFS Mount Shasta ranger station for accurate information and advised against relying solely on AI for trip planning.