{"id":933878,"date":"2026-10-15T11:30:11","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T11:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/933878\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T11:30:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T11:30:11","slug":"ai-can-be-a-great-tool-but-not-if-youre-using-it-for-this-reason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/933878\/","title":{"rendered":"AI can be a great tool, but not if you’re using it for this reason"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’m not going to lie; I use AI<\/a> for many of my outdoor adventures.<\/p>\n

I’ve found it to be a great tool for planning my marathon training schedule and finding easy hikes for my toddlers<\/a>. However, one thing I would never rely on it for is planning an actual mountain route, and here’s why.<\/p>\n

Recently, a 16-year-old in British Columbia had to be helicopter-rescued<\/a> from a vertical cliff face on Crown Mountain in North Vancouver. He used AI to help plan his route, which led him directly into a high-risk climbing section known as the “Widowmaker.”<\/p>\n

One common misconception about AI is that it understands terrain. It can’t differentiate between a scenic walking path, an unmaintained gully, or a Class 4 rock scramble<\/a>. Even worse, if you lose cell service, your chatbox becomes completely useless.<\/p>\n

AI can also make mistakes. For example, it went from labeling Panorama Ridge as a strenuous hike to calling it easy terrain when questioned (demonstrated in the video above).<\/p>\n

If you’re heading outdoors, it’s best to skip the chatbox and use dedicated mapping tools instead. Apps like Gaia and Trailforks provide real topographic maps and elevation profiles. Additionally, I recommend always downloading an offline map; I personally prefer using Strava for that.<\/p>\n

I also make it a point to carry my Garmin inReach everywhere, just in case I find myself lost without cell service in the backcountry.<\/p>\n

\"Mia<\/p>\n

Mia Gordon: Garmin inReach for backcountry communication is key.<\/p>\n

Garmin inReach is a handheld satellite communicator that can help hikers stay connected, share locations, and call for help in areas with no cellular service. (Mia Gordon\/The Weather Network)<\/p>\n

Finally, I advise looking for human reports. It’s wise to trust real people over any computer when it comes to planning hiking routes. I always check websites like AllTrails before a hike to see the most recent reports. Fellow hikers can inform me if a trail is washed out or icy.<\/p>\n

AI can be a great tool for brainstorming, but when it comes to navigation, relying on AI’s shortcuts can literally lead you into dangerous situations.<\/p>\n

WATCH BELOW: From tantrums to trails, a parent’s guide to hiking with children<\/p>\n

Click here to view the video<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I’m not going to lie; I use AI for many of my outdoor adventures. I’ve found it to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":933879,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[49,48,66],"class_list":["post-933878","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/933878","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=933878"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/933878\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/933879"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=933878"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=933878"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=933878"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}