A group of climbers was rescued after Google's Gemini chatbot gave them dangerously incorrect advice for climbing Mount Shasta. The climbers were told the ascent would take only 8 hours, leading them to pack minimal food and water, no shelter, and no warm clothing. They began their climb at 3AM on August 30 and took 16 hours just to reach the summit by 7PM, well past the recommended turnaround time of noon.

After dark, they became lost during descent when their navigation phone died. They called 911 but weren't located by US Forest Service Climbing Rangers with the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team until 9:30AM the next day. A helicopter couldn't reach them due to weather, requiring a 9-hour foot evacuation.

The climbers admitted they "relied too much on AI rather than our own critical thinking." Siskiyou County officials now advise climbers to contact the Mount Shasta Ranger station for accurate information and to "never rely solely on AI" for planning dangerous activities.