The ma of the American assemblage student missing successful Japan told CBS News the 2 had an statement implicit her usage of ChatGPT connected their abrogation earlier helium disappeared.
James "Weston" Higginbotham, a 20-year-old Auburn University engineering student, has been missing since May 29.
Nancy Higginbotham called the usage of ChatGPT "a sore subject" betwixt her and her son.
"I was utilizing a small spot excessively overmuch ChatGPT. Japan is simply a state that I've had a hard clip navigating," she said. "Weston is precise anti-AI due to the fact that you cognize he's into sustainability engineering and AI uses a batch of h2o and is depleting a batch of h2o resources."
Weston had decided to enactment backmost portion his parents and member visited a adjacent temple successful Kyoto aft luncheon connected May 29. That evening his parents saw his determination determination connected a household tracking app and texted him, but didn't person an answer.
He was past seen leaving the Yamashina bid presumption successful Kyoto. His parents judge Weston, an avid hiker, was going to a adjacent trail.
"My fearfulness is that he, that helium got wounded and that he's stuck," Nancy Higginbotham said. "My fearfulness is that helium doesn't person capable nutrient due to the fact that determination is plentifulness of water, and that he's lost. Those mountains, that wood goes for a precise agelong clip and ... it's highly dense."
A household photograph of James "Weston" Higginbotham of Alabama, who went missing adjacent Kyoto, Japan, connected May 29, 2026.
Nancy Higginbotham/Facebook
Search efforts
Nancy Higginbotham said constabulary are suspending their search.
"They said they've concluded their hunt of the country that they committed to and they conducted a precise thorough hunt implicit 3 days to see 100 constabulary officers, K9 dogs, the helicopters, and they did not find him," she said.
The household is hiring a nonrecreational hunt and rescue unit successful Japan, which is expected to outgo implicit $100,000. They said they are not leaving Japan without their son.
"We person implicit assurance that we are going to find him," Weston's dad, Keith Higginbotham, said.
In:
Parents of missing Auburn pupil talk retired
Parents of assemblage pupil missing successful Japan accidental "we volition find him"
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