# Chatbots Are Leading Hikers Astray, With Dangerous Consequences

- Source: Wired · AI
- Published: 2026-11-01T10:30:00.000Z
- Bad Influence: https://badinfluence.news/items/hygyplgxpguv04nkv0ggtit4p
- Original: https://www.wired.com/story/chatbots-are-leading-hikers-astray-with-dangerous-consequences/

## Summary

Search and rescue officials report hikers relying on AI chatbots for trip planning, including three 20-year-olds on Mount Shasta who used Google's Gemini and a 16-year-old in British Columbia who used Anthropic's Claude. Grand Teton National Park's superintendent says visitors reporting AI use for travel information rose from zero to 26 percent over the past year. Experts warn chatbots can hallucinate and encourage users to stop thinking critically, and advise checking plans against official maps and guidebooks.