3 Hikers Planned Their Climb With Google’s Gemini. Then They Got Stranded on a Mountain
Millions use the new technology for travel planning. Real-world rescues are revealing the risks of blind trust.
Three hikers used Google’s artificial intelligence chatbot to find the best route and information for their hiking trip. Then, they got stuck.
“This was a critical misstep, as they were advised by Gemini to bring far less food and water than their group required, especially when their planned eight-hour ascent became a multi-day ordeal,” the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office said
Officials said the three young men got stuck
Officials said the three young men got stuck on the mountain on Sunday during their descent from the summit. After deciding to hike back down in the dark, they quickly became lost. One of the hikers fell and injured his knee, leaving the trio effectively stranded.
After calling for help, the sheriff’s office’s search-and-rescue team and a U.S. Forest Service Climbing Rangers team rescued the men Monday. One of the hikers admitted to a sheriff’s deputy that they had relied on Google’s Gemini for information about the route and a recommended packing list.
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The sheriff’s office is now warning future hikers and campers to “never rely solely on AI for your trip planning.”
It tends to want to give you favorable
“It tends to want to give you favorable information and also make you seem like you’re kind of invincible, and I think that causes problems, especially when something can be extremely dangerous. AI can be a good tool, but it shouldn’t be used as the expert. Go talk to actual people,” Sheriff Jeremiah Larue told WBLT.
A spokesperson for Google told Inc. that its team has looked into the issue and worked with its safety team. Upon doing so, it was not able to produce similar results to the three hikers when using the tool. On its platform, Gemini notices state that the AI model “can make mistakes,” warning users to check its work and use discretion before relying on its answers.
Source: www.inc.com
