Missing Auburn Student Argued with Mom Over ChatGPT Before Disappearing in Japan: He Was ‘Emotionally Distressed,’ She Says

NEED TO KNOW

• Missing Auburn University student James “Weston” Higginbotham, who vanished during a family vacation to Japan, had an argument with his mother about ChatGPT before he disappeared

• Weston, who hasn’t been seen since Friday, May 29, claimed his mom, Nancy, was using an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot too much to plan their trip

• “We try never to use it and I totally agree with him. It was just a dumb, dumb argument to have,” Nancy told NBC News

A missing Auburn University student had an argument with his mom about ChatGPT before he disappeared during a family trip in Japan.

James “Weston” Higginbotham, 20, was last seen in the Kyoto area on Friday, May 29, after separating from his family, who were visiting the country from Alabama.

Nancy Higginbotham, her husband Keith and their kids had been traveling together since Monday, May 25, in celebration of their 18-year-old son’s high school graduation.

While speaking to NBC News on a phone call from Japan, Nancy confirmed that James had walked away from his parents after an argument about his mom using ChatGPT too much to plan their trip.

“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,” Nancy said, per the outlet.

James ‘Weston’ Higginbotham
Credit: Nancy Higginbotham/Facebook

Weston, who majors in biosystems engineering, is opposed to how reliant the world has become on artificial intelligence (AI), Nancy told the network.

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

James ‘Weston’ Higginbotham
Credit: Nancy Higginbotham/Facebook

Nancy said her son was “emotionally distressed” following the argument, but doesn’t think he would ever hurt himself or strangers, NBC News reported.

“He’s such a pacifist. When he gets mad, he just likes retreat to himself,” she said, insisting that her son doesn’t even stomp on insects or spiders, instead choosing to put them outside.

PEOPLE has reached out to Nancy Higginbotham for comment.

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Nancy has been sharing multiple updates on Facebook amid the ongoing search for her son, who she said is missing in the Yamashina mountains.

In a post on Friday, Nancy said that police had provided the family with a map showing the areas that had already been searched.

She then asked “experienced hikers to help search outside of the marked search zone, particularly in the surrounding mountains and remote trails.”

James ‘Weston’ Higginbotham
Credit: Nancy Higginbotham/Facebook

Nancy warned that the terrain is “extremely steep, rugged and heavily wooded” and that “many areas involve significant elevation changes, dense vegetation, and difficult footing.”

“Weston is an experienced hiker and may have traveled farther into the mountains than expected,” she continued, stating that he’s now been missing for seven days.

“While there are water sources throughout the area, food is limited, making it critical that we continue searching as quickly as possible,” Nancy wrote.

Nancy previously told Fox News that the family had decided to separate after “bickering with each other.”

“He just needed time by himself, just like we all did,” the mom said. “We just needed some separation.”

As previously reported by PEOPLE, Weston arrived at Kyoto train station last Friday at around 8:15 p.m. local time, Nancy said on Facebook. Local police confirmed that Weston got off the train at Yamashina station in Kyoto that same night, she added.

But Weston’s phone lost network at 8:29 p.m., according to his mom. She told Fox News that this prevented them from following him through the Life360 app.

Additionally, Nancy claimed her family repeatedly texted Weston, but the messages did not go through.

Weston’s parents told Fox News that their son has “never” vanished like this before. “We stay very well connected,” Keith said, adding that family members know where each other are “at all times.”

Nancy told the network that her son was last seen wearing a white T-shirt that says “save the bees,” lavender corduroy pants “with a larger cuff at the bottom,” two silver hoop earrings, and some beat-up Adidas shoes.

“He can survive, and we are going to find him,” Nancy insisted to the outlet.

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