Crisis Commands: Can Tech Talk Save Lives in the Wild?

The internet is a go-to resource for when you find yourself in unfamiliar or difficult situations, and quickly Googling an answer can save your skin.

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But large language models can summarize and give you an answer far quicker than you can find relevant information on a web page, and it’s tempting to ask ChatGPT for advice in wild and unfamiliar situations.

We asked ChatGPT a range of survival-critical questions in a fictional wilderness setting and rated its responses.

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Why Rely on ChatGPT in a Survival Situation?

The rise of AI chatbots has taken the world by storm, and generative AI can create fantastic art . You can also use ChatGPT as a tool for creative writing or employ AI to help detect faces in photographs .

And while ChatGPT doesn’t always tell the truth , it’s no secret that AI is replacing workers across all sectors.

So it’s tempting while planning a wilderness vacation to eschew a trained guide and rely on ChatGPT to keep you safe in the great outdoors. But the question is, should you?

How to Fight Off a Bear

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Bears are found on every continent except Africa, and if you’re backpacking through the wild and untamed spaces of the world, it’s not inconceivable that you might encounter one. Unfortunately, while Wikipedia’s Bear Danger page contains some of the information we needed, there’s little concrete advice. In a dangerous situation, we wouldn’t have time to scan through the 1,042-word article.

ChatGPT was more succinct, and after warning, “Encountering a bear can be a dangerous situation,” summed up our options in seven points.

While “Stay calm” and “Don’t run” seem reasonably sensible if you’re merely encountering a bear, we had actually asked, “How to fight off a bear.” For that, we had to scroll down to points six and seven, where we found a detailed instruction on how to play dead, and, failing that, to “fight back with everything you have. Use any available objects as weapons and aim for the bear’s face and sensitive areas.”

The intermediate points were of variable quality and included “Speak in a calm and assertive voice,” “Wave your arms to make yourself appear larger,” and “Show respect by looking down or to the side.”

Rating: 3/10

ChatGPT had very little to say on how to actually fight off a bear.

How to Catch Salmon Without Fishing Equipment

If you’re off-grid and out-of-touch, keeping yourself fed has to be a priority. Fortunately, in our scenario, there’s a river nearby, and you can see the silver flashes of salmon as they swim upstream to the spawning grounds. Unfortunately, you don’t have any rods or nets.

After acknowledging that “catching salmon without fishing equipment can be challenging, as they are typically caught using fishing gear such as rods, reels, and lures,” ChatGPT was remarkably helpful.

It explained how to catch salmon using only your hands, spearing the fish with a knife or a sharp stick. Or blocking off an area of the stream to trap the fish.

ChatGPT also suggested using a large fishing net—the lack of which should have been obvious from the question—or constructing a fishing net from available materials. However, a follow-up question on fishing net construction revealed the process to be time-consuming, complex, and required access to a great deal of equipment.

Rating: 7/10

We feel confident that at least one of these methods would work.

How to Survive the Night in a Blizzard With No Shelter

The weather’s taken a turn for the worse, and having escaped the bears and enjoyed raw salmon for supper, you find yourself cold and afraid as high winds and snow whip around you. So you turn to your friendly chatbot for help.

The first piece of advice is spot-on: “Seek natural shelters.” ChatGPT suggests you look for any natural formations that can provide some level of protection from the elements—including caves, rock formations, dense tree groves, or large snow drifts.

Failing that, you should create a snow shelter, insulate yourself, curl into a fetal position, and attempt to stay dry.

ChatGPT also stressed the importance of staying awake and signaling for help.

Rating: 9/10

While we’re not 100% certain that you’ll survive the night, we feel that following ChatGPT’s advice will dramatically increase your chances.

I’m Being Hunted by a Pack of Wolves. What Should I Do?

Evading predators should always be high on your list while wilderness exploring, and ChatGPT’s advice is similar to that offered when asked how to fight a bear.

Broadly speaking, you should stay calm, not run, make yourself look big, and maintain eye contact. If the wolves begin to attack, ChatGPT advises using “any available objects as weapons to protect yourself. Focus on targeting their sensitive areas such as the eyes, nose, and throat.”

Rating: 4/10

We found the advice overly generic and showed a lack of understanding of how wolf packs hunt. ChatGPT also failed to mention that wolves are notoriously poor tree climbers and that by clambering up the nearest spruce, you can buy yourself some extra time.

There’s a Dead Sheep in a Stream and No Other Water Source

Water is even more important than food, but drinking from a polluted water source can make you ill or even cause death.

After informing ChatGPT that there was a dead sheep in the only available water source, the LLM suggested finding another water source—a reasonable proposition, but one which ignored part of the prompt.

Its other direction was to purify the water by boiling it, using purification tablets or a portable water filter.

Rating: 3/10

Telling us to find another water source when we’ve explicitly stated there isn’t one is not helpful. And while boiling water or using purification chemicals will kill bacteria, portable water filters won’t. Additionally, ChatGPT failed to give the most obvious answer: move upstream of the dead sheep.

Help! I’ve Now Fallen Down an Abandoned Mineshaft in the Dark, and Can’t Walk or Call for Help

You should always take care while wandering unfamiliar environs at night, and you should also know that a good rechargeable flashlight is an essential part of any survival kit. Maybe you fell in while delirious after drinking the contaminated water.

Never fear. ChatGPT is here!

The LLM was initially unhelpful and responded to our prompt with, “I’m really sorry to hear about your situation, but I’m unable to provide the assistance you need. It’s crucial to reach out to emergency services or any available means of communication for immediate help.”

After a follow-up prompt explaining, “I can’t contact emergency services,” ChatGPT overcame its reluctance and offered some advice.

“Make noise” is generally good advice, but we’re in the wilderness here, and there’s no one for miles around. Likewise, “Use a light source to make yourself more visible” would be great if our scenario didn’t involve us being smack in the middle of nowhere and deep underground.

The third suggestion was more of the same: “If you have any items with you, consider using them creatively to help draw attention or create a makeshift signaling device. For example, you could try reflecting light using a mirror or metallic object, or use brightly colored clothing or materials to attract attention.”

And there’s no need to seek shelter when we’re comfy and isolated from the wind. ChatGPT didn’t really understand what we wanted (or needed!) here and that another prompt was needed: “How do I get back to the surface,” we wrote.

ChatGPT went straight into action, offering multiple ideas of varying quality. These are summarized as:

• Assess your surroundings, and look for possible escape routes, openings, or pathways.
• If any ladders, ropes, or footholds are available, carefully attempt to climb back up. Again, use caution and test the stability of the structure before putting your weight on it.
• Explore the area to see any other exits or openings that could lead to the surface. This could include ventilation shafts, emergency exits, or secondary tunnels.
• Wait for rescue

Rating 5 / 10

When we eventually persuaded ChatGPT to give advice, it was sensible but not inspired. “Try to climb back up” and “Look for a way out” are, in our opinion, both decent courses of action—although not if, as we specified, you can’t walk.

The best advice is to wait for rescue. It’s a known fact that certain Collie breeds are attracted to mineshafts and have been known to bring help from settlements in the area.

You Can’t Depend on ChatGPT in an Emergency

ChatGPT’s advice was middling at best. Most of the answers it gave were common sense, and in several cases, it completely ignored parts of the prompt.

If you’re committed to using a large language model as your guide while on an expedition, consider one that can be run offline without needing an internet connection.

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But large language models can summarize and give you an answer far quicker than you can find relevant information on a web page, and it’s tempting to ask ChatGPT for advice in wild and unfamiliar situations.

We asked ChatGPT a range of survival-critical questions in a fictional wilderness setting and rated its responses.

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