AI Chatbots Mislead Hikers Into Rescues as Grand Teton Visitor Use Hits 26%
Updated
Updated · WIRED · Nov 1
AI Chatbots Mislead Hikers Into Rescues as Grand Teton Visitor Use Hits 26%
2 articles · Updated · WIRED · Nov 1
Summary
Three 20-year-old hikers on Mount Shasta needed rescue after relying partly on Google Gemini, summiting at 7:30 p.m., descending in the dark and ending up lost with one injured knee.
Other incidents point to the same pattern: a British Columbia teen was rescued after planning with Claude, while Mount Shasta staff also encountered an AI-backed camper and a hiker carrying a map with major features misplaced.
Grand Teton says the share of visitors reporting AI use for travel information rose from 0% to 26% in the past year, though rescue totals have not clearly climbed with it.
Wyoming search-and-rescue calls are down to 312 so far in 2026 from 466 in 2025, while Mount Shasta still averages about a dozen rescues a year.
Researchers say chatbots can hallucinate and encourage 'cognitive surrender'—confidently giving bad directions that users stop questioning—prompting experts to urge checks against official maps, rangers and guidebooks.