Mom of missing American says he vanished in Japan after argument over ChatGPT

Japanese police trudged through deep mud Thursday in another unsuccessful day searching for a missing Auburn University student, who vanished after an argument over artificial intelligence, his family said.

James “Weston” Higginbotham, 20, was last seen Friday at the Kyoto train station, and his disappearance has prompted a massive search by police and local volunteers, the family has said.

His mother, Nancy Higginbotham, said Friday on Facebook that her son was last known to have entered the mountainous forest area near Yamashina, Kyoto.

“It is now Day 7,” she said. “While there are water sources throughout the area, food is limited, making it critical that we continue searching as quickly as possible.” She urged “hikers, trail runners, and outdoor enthusiasts” to assist in the search.

Earlier, she said rescuers searching for her son were “incredibly thorough in the difficult conditions.”

“It’s been a long, stressful day,” she said in a post on Thursday. “Today, dozens of Japanese police officers searched through waist-high mud in an effort to find Weston. Search dogs and helicopters were also deployed.”

James Higginbotham. — James “Weston” Higginbotham.via Facebook

Higginbotham walked away from his parents while on a family trip following an argument over ChatGPT, his mother said in a phone call from Japan.

The Auburn student, who majors in biosystems engineering, is devoted to sustainable design and opposes the world’s increasing reliance on AI, Nancy Higginbotham said.

“We had an argument because I was using ChatGPT too much to try to help us navigate the trip and find the best restaurants and do this and that,” she said.

“We try never to use it and I totally agree with him. It was just a dumb, dumb argument to have,” she added.

She described her son as “emotionally distressed” following the argument but said she doesn’t believe he’s a danger to himself or strangers.

He doesn’t even stomp on spiders or insects, opting to carry them outside, she said.

“He’s such a pacifist. When he gets mad, he just likes retreat to himself,” Higginbotham said.

She said in her Facebook post Thursday that the family has great “confidence in the professionalism and dedication of the Japanese authorities and do not believe any area within the search zone was overlooked.”

“They are meticulous,” she wrote. “The area where we believe Weston is missing has ample water and limited berries. There is still hope.”

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