The teen was rescued from the base of Widowmaker Arete after Claude AI sent him off course. Photos: North Shore Rescue
Search and rescue teams in British Columbia rescued a teenager after artificial intelligence sent him on a wayward path.
According to reports, the 16-year-old took a gondola up North Vancouver’s Grouse Mountain at 8 a.m. on October 4. At the top, the teenager asked Claude AI to map him a route to Crown Mountain, another peak just north of Grouse. It’s rugged terrain, marked by soaring cliffs and stunning views, but to those unfamiliar with the area, it can be a dangerous place. Claude AI sent the boy down Crown Pass, up the Crater Slabs zone, and through Crown Couloir before sending him way off course. When he realized he was lost, he wound up calling for help at the base of a relatively famous 10-pitch climbing route called Widowmaker Arete.
“A fall would have resulted in significant injury or potentially death,” Search Manager Paul Markey told CTV News.
Once the teams had the boy’s location, they had to lower two rescuers down to an area above him. The teen was too close to the cliff face’s wall for the helicopter to get close enough, so once the crew members were on the ground above the teen, they began to secure themselves to haul him out.
“When on the ground, the crew established an anchor, and one member was belayed to the subject,” NSR staff wrote in the task debrief. “There, the member established additional protection and was able to move the subject to a suitable extraction point.”
By 6:30 p.m., the teen was safely aboard the helicopter and on his way home. Markey didn’t mince words about a rescue situation involving AI
“Claude has never been in that specific area, has never been on that route, and has never been in the outdoors,” he said. “Do your own research and gain your own knowledge of the area and supplement it with training and navigation.”
While the victim was experienced at climbing in indoor climbing gyms and was apparently well-prepared for the trip, Markey noted that solo trips like this one are not generally a great idea if it’s your first kick at the can.
“Certainly not something you should be doing any time on your own,” Markey said. “He’s a good kid and definitely an adventurous sort. He was very scared and thankful.”
