{
  "id": 5524774,
  "title": "Man, 57, follows AI directions & gets stuck on mountain in China, rescued by firefighters, AI's response: ‘Haha, true!’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/04/man-57-follows-ai-directions-gets-stuck-on-mountain-in-china-rescued",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-04T09:02:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mothership",
    "slug": "mothership",
    "url": "https://mothership.sg/2026/09/man-follows-ai-direction-mountain/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A 57-year-old man named Yang found himself stranded on a mountain in China after following directions provided by an AI application. This unfortunate incident occurred on August 30th while he was hiking in the Yinzhou district of Ningbo, Zhejiang province. Yang, who is originally from Hunan province and had been living in Ningbo for several years, decided to venture into the mountainous area for a day of hiking.\n\nUpon reaching the summit of the mountain, Yang ventured down a streambed to find a different route back to his starting point. However, as he descended, he soon realized that the path had become increasingly difficult to navigate. Unsure of what to do next, Yang turned to an AI app for guidance. The app warned him that following the stream was the incorrect choice and instead suggested that he move away from the stream and head towards higher ground.\n\nYang followed this advice and began climbing uphill once again. Unfortunately, the terrain proved to be much more challenging than the AI had indicated. Thick bushes and steep, slippery slopes made progress slow and arduous. After several attempts at ascending and descending the hillside, Yang's energy had been completely depleted and he became hopelessly lost.\n\nIn a desperate attempt to find help, Yang called for assistance. Firefighters arrived at the base of the mountain and began searching for him based on the location he had provided. However, they faced difficulties in establishing contact with Yang as his phone remained constantly engaged. When they finally reached the marked location, Yang was no longer there. After several attempts, the team managed to locate him again and facilitated the activation of live location sharing on his phone.\n\nAs the firefighters combed through the area and shouted for help, Yang heard their voices and responded back. They followed the sound of his voice and were able to reach him safely, bringing him down the mountain. The next day, Yang returned to the AI to express his dissatisfaction with its guidance, stating that he should have simply used a traditional navigation app instead. The AI responded with a humorous remark, saying \"Haha, true!\"",
  "summary": "Firefighters had to come find him.",
  "key_points": [
    "57-year-old Yang gets stuck on Chinese mountain after following AI directions",
    "AI app advised him to move away from stream, head towards higher ground",
    "Firefighters rescue Yang after he calls for help and shares live location"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}