Three tourists rescued in the US after planning Mount Shasta climb with Gemini
In the United States, three tourists were rescued on Mount Shasta in California after a climb they planned with Google’s Gemini chatbot. TechCrunch reports, citing the Chicago Tribune and the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office.
The climb lasted until the evening
According to the sheriff’s office, the three young men set out on their hike at 3:00 a.m. Hikers are advised to turn back if they have not reached the summit by noon, but this group reached the summit only at 7:00 p.m.
They then tried to descend in the dark and called the sheriff’s office to ask for directions. The tourists spent the night in Mud Creek Canyon. The following morning, they were rescued by U.S. Forest Service rangers and volunteers.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Warnings about planning with AI
The sheriff’s office said Gemini advised the tourists to bring significantly less food and water than their group needed. It noted that this was especially insufficient because the planned eight-hour ascent turned into a multi-day ordeal.
TechCrunch noted that it is unclear whether the chatbot can be held entirely responsible for the tourists’ decisions. The sheriff’s office advised contacting the U.S. Forest Service’s local Mount Shasta Ranger Station before a trip to obtain accurate information and not relying solely on AI when planning hikes.
