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Man Trusts AI Shortcut, Gets Lost in Mountains, AI's Reply Is Priceless

It sounds like a joke, but it's a true story. A 57-year-old man, confident in his fitness, decided to take a 'shortcut' down a mountain—only to end up lost, exhausted, and needing rescue. The twist? He was following advice from an AI chatbot.

On August 30, Mr. Yang, a Hunan native who has worked in Ningbo for years, set out for a weekend hike. After reaching the summit along a well-trodden trail, he decided to descend via an unfamiliar path. Initially, he followed a small stream, but the going got tougher. So, he pulled out his phone and asked an AI app for directions.

The AI's response was confident: going downstream was wrong; he should head uphill, away from the stream bed. Trusting the machine, Yang changed course. But the terrain only grew worse—dense undergrowth, steep and slippery slopes. He scrambled up and down, growing more disoriented, until his strength gave out. Realizing he was well and truly lost, he called emergency services.

Firefighters arrived at the mountain's base and used Yang's shared location to search. But they couldn't find him at the marked spot. After re-establishing contact and enabling real-time location sharing, they adjusted their search based on Yang's description of his starting point. They called out his name, listening for a response, and eventually located him, guiding him safely down.

Once safe, Yang couldn't resist messaging the AI again: 'I should have just used navigation yesterday instead of asking you.' The AI's reply? 'Yes, indeed!' Then it added, 'Looking back, if I had just followed the navigation along the established route, I wouldn't have ended up in that 45-degree steep ravine and suffered so much.'

It's a humorous ending, but the lesson is serious. AI-generated route suggestions may not account for real-world conditions—trail conditions, weather, or your own physical limits. They can even lead you into danger. For outdoor enthusiasts, the advice is clear: stick to established trails and navigation apps. If you get lost or feel exhausted, call for help immediately.

Key Points:

  • A 57-year-old man in Zhejiang got lost after following AI advice to take a shortcut down a mountain.
  • He became exhausted and had to call firefighters for rescue.
  • After being rescued, he messaged the AI, which replied 'Yes, indeed!'—a moment of dark humor.
  • The incident underscores the risks of relying on AI for navigation in unfamiliar terrain.
  • Experts advise hikers to use established trails and navigation tools, and to call for help if lost or exhausted.