An Alabama college student who disappeared during a family trip to Japan may have left following a disagreement with his parents over the use of artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT, according to comments made by his mother.
James Weston Higginbotham, a 20-year-old biosystems engineering student at Auburn University, was last seen in Kyoto on May 29 while vacationing with his family.
In interviews with U.S. media, his mother, Nancy Higginbotham, said the family had been arguing about her reliance on ChatGPT to help navigate the trip, locate restaurants, and plan activities.
According to her account, Weston strongly opposed growing dependence on artificial intelligence and believed people were becoming overly reliant on the technology.
“We had an argument because I was using ChatGPT too much to try to help us navigate the trip and find the best restaurants,” she said, describing the disagreement as a “dumb argument.”
His mother emphasized that she does not believe her son intended to harm himself or anyone else, but said he appeared emotionally upset after the exchange.
After the disagreement, Weston reportedly decided to separate from the family for a period of time while they visited a temple in Kyoto.
Location data from the family’s Life360 app reportedly showed him walking near a river, visiting several stores, and later boarding a local train. His phone location then stopped transmitting.
Authorities later reviewed surveillance footage that allegedly showed Weston exiting a train at Yamashina Station on the morning of his disappearance.
Search efforts have since focused in part on wooded areas near the station. His mother told reporters that spending time alone outdoors was not unusual for him.
“It’s not unusual for Weston to blow off steam going to the woods and just exploring,” she said. “That’s his happy place.”
Weston had traveled to Japan with his parents and younger brother as part of a family celebration marking his brother’s high school graduation.
His family has pledged to remain in Japan until he is found and has launched an extensive public-awareness campaign to spread his photograph throughout the region, per the Daily Mail.
According to information released by the family, Weston is approximately 6-foot-1, has long blond hair and blue eyes, and was last seen wearing a white “Save the Bees” T-shirt, lavender corduroy pants, white Adidas sneakers, and carrying a shoulder bag featuring the state of Alabama.
Volunteers have reportedly distributed flyers near Yamashina Station and throughout the surrounding area as search efforts continue.
At this time, there is no indication that ChatGPT itself played any role beyond being the subject of the family disagreement. Investigators have not announced evidence of foul play, and the circumstances surrounding Weston’s disappearance remain unclear.
