Hikers found out the hard way why you shouldn’t trust AI

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Many people rely on AI for planning their trips, but you really shouldn’t blindly trust these chatbots for anything. Now, three hikers have found out that you shouldn’t trust Gemini at all for planning a mountain hike.

The Chicago Tribune reports that three hikers got rescued from the 14,179-foot (4,322-meter) Mount Shasta in California after getting lost overnight. The men told emergency services that they had planned their hike via Google Gemini.

The hikers had camped on Saturday night at 8,400 feet of elevation (2,560 meters) before setting out for the peak at 3:00 AM on Sunday morning. They eventually reached the peak at 7:00 PM, despite hikers being told to turn around if they hadn’t made the summit before midday. The men then got lost on the descent and went off course, with one hiker hurting their knee. They subsequently spent the night in “steep drainage” before being rescued.

Unfortunately, the local sheriff’s office reported that the hikers “were advised by Gemini to bring far less food and water than their group required, especially when their planned eight-hour ascent became a multiday ordeal.”

“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 office added. Either way, it’s clear that you really shouldn’t be relying on AI for serious matters like this.

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