3 hikers who say they used AI to plan trip rescued after becoming stranded on Mount Shasta
Using AI to plan was a "critical misstep," according to the sheriff’s office.
Three hikers were rescued on Monday after they became stranded on Mount Shasta near Clear Creek Route.
The hikers told the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office they relied heavily on Google’s Gemini, an artificial intelligence assistant, for information about the route and what to pack, which the sheriff’s office called a "critical misstep."
"They were advised by Gemini to bring far less food and water than their group required, especially when their planned 8 hour ascent became a multi-day ordeal," the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
ABC News has reached out to Google for comment.
The "novice" hikers from Roseville, California, made camp at 8,400 feet on Saturday, then departed with daypacks for Mount Shasta’s Summit at 3 a.m. on Sunday, according to the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office
They submitted at 7 p.m. Sunday evening, after the recommended turnaround time of 12 p.m., and descended in the dark, the sheriff’s office said.
An hour into their descent, they called the sheriff’s office dispatch to ask for directions but eventually wandered off-route into Mud Creek Canyon, the sheriff’s office said.
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A member of the party fell and injured his knee later that night before the group wandered off route into Mud Creek Canyon, where they got stranded, the sheriff’s office said.
The group was forced to bivouac in the steep drainage of Mud Creek Canyon until USFS Climbing Rangers met them there in the morning, the sheriff’s office said.
They received medical aid, and the hikers and rescue teams returned to the trailhead without incident.
The sheriff’s office said hikers should turn around if they have not reached the summit of Mount Shasta by noon to have sufficient daylight to hike out.
Hikers should also stop to verify they are on the correct route often and should not simply rely on cell phones or GPS devices, the sheriff’s office said.
"While the Clear Creek Route on Mount Shasta is not a technical mountaineering route, it still requires climbers to be physically fit and prepared for unforeseen circumstances, such as an injury, inclement weather or unplanned overnight stay. Serious accidents and fatalities occur on the Clear Creek route when individuals become lost and wander into more dangerous terrain, such as the Mud Creek drainage," the sheriff’s office said.
"It is always advisable to call the local USFS Mount Shasta Ranger station ahead of your trip to ensure you have the most accurate information, and to never rely solely on AI for your trip planning," the sheriff’s office said.
