AI Chatbots Are Sending Hikers Down the Wrong Path

Three hikers stranded on a rocky face of Mount Shasta called for help after a series of poor decisions-insufficient food, overestimated fitness, and a summit at 7:30 pm that forced a descent in the dark. They later admitted their planning leaned partly on Google's Gemini chatbot. By morning they were lost, and one had injured a knee.

Nick Meyers of the US Forest Service, whose team responded, said such visitors often "turn their brains off." Other Mount Shasta cases include a camper who pitched a tent beside a "No Camping" sign because AI said she could, and a man with an AI-made map that placed key features on the wrong side of the mountain. In British Columbia, a helicopter crew rescued a 16-year-old from a ledge on Crown Mountain; he had used Anthropic's Claude to help plan, though he said he also consulted Google Maps and AllTrails.

Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins said AI use for trip information jumped from zero to 26 percent in a year. Whether that means more accidents is unclear: Meyers' office averages a dozen rescues annually, and Wyoming's search and rescue calls fell to 312 so far in 2026 from 466 in 2025.

Veterans note AI is just the latest tool leading people astray, after Instagram and Google Maps. Chatbots can "hallucinate" and encourage "cognitive surrender," said Clemson professor Chris Flathmann-users stop thinking critically. Experts advise checking public-land agency maps, trail associations, guidebooks, or talking to a ranger. Said Meyers: "If you're going to go into places that will kill you, you should take your planning seriously."