Three hikers rescued in California after planning trip with Google Gemini
Three young men were rescued from California's Mount Shasta after spending a night stranded in a canyon, having used Google's Gemini chatbot to help plan their hike. Authorities said Gemini advised them to bring far less food and water than they actually needed.
The Siskiyou County sheriff's office in California reported that three young men were rescued this week from Mount Shasta after using Google's AI chatbot Gemini to help plan their expedition.
According to the sheriff's report, cited by the Chicago Tribune, the group set out at 3am. Hikers are typically advised to turn back if they haven't reached the summit by noon, but the trio didn't reach the top until 7pm.
A night in the canyon
After reaching the summit, the men attempted to descend in darkness. They called the sheriff's office asking for directions but ultimately had to spend the night in Mud Creek Canyon. They were rescued the following morning by Forest Service rangers and volunteers.
The sheriff's office said it isn't entirely clear how much responsibility lies with the Gemini-assisted planning, but noted that the AI tool had advised the hikers to bring significantly less food and water than their group actually required — particularly once their planned eight-hour ascent turned into a multiday ordeal.
Officials' advice
The sheriff's office recommended always calling the local U.S. Forest Service Mount Shasta ranger station before a trip to get the most accurate information, and cautioned against relying solely on AI for trip planning.
