Technology
Three climbers rescued from Mount Shasta after using Google Gemini for trip planning
Authorities say the hikers were left stranded with insufficient supplies and dead devices, while Google investigates the reported advice.
The short version
- Three hikers were safely evacuated from California's Mount Shasta in a multiday rescue after an eight-hour climb turned into a three-day ordeal.
- According to the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office, the group relied on Google Gemini, which recommended inadequate food and water supplies.
- The hikers became lost during descent following an injury, dead phone batteries, and a lack of offline navigation or proper lighting.
- Google stated that its trust and safety team is investigating the incident but has so far been unable to reproduce the AI advice reported by the climbers.
Key facts
- Three climbers on Mount Shasta were evacuated by emergency personnel on Monday following two unsuccessful helicopter airlift attempts.[CNET]
- The Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office stated that the group relied heavily on Google Gemini AI for route and packing guidance, which advised them to bring insufficient food and water.[CNET]
- The hikers reached the summit 16 hours after their 3 a.m. Sunday departure, but got lost descending after one member injured a leg and their phones and backup batteries failed without offline maps.[CNET]
- A Google representative stated that the company is investigating the climbing output but has been unable to reproduce the specific prompts and answers the hikers reported receiving.[CNET]
What remains uncertain
- The exact prompts submitted to Gemini and the specific food, water, or packing quantities generated by the AI remain unverified, as Google and independent tests have not reproduced the reported responses.[CNET]