Missing Auburn student's mom says they argued over ChatGPT before he disappeared in Japan

KYOTO, JAPAN: The mother of an Auburn University student who disappeared during a family trip to Japan says she and her son had argued about her use of ChatGPT shortly before he went missing, offering new insight into the final days before authorities lost track of the 20-year-old.

James "Weston" Higginbotham, an engineering student from Alabama, has been missing since May 29 after separating from his family in Kyoto.

Mom says ChatGPT was a 'sore subject' between them

Speaking to CBS News, Nancy Higginbotham revealed that one of her last disagreements with her son centered around her use of artificial intelligence during their vacation.

"I was using a little bit too much ChatGPT. Japan is a country that I've had a hard time navigating," she said. "Weston is very anti-AI because you know he's into sustainability engineering and AI uses a lot of water and is depleting a lot of water resources."

According to Nancy, Weston strongly opposed AI technology because of concerns related to environmental sustainability.

The disagreement occurred shortly before the family's plans changed on May 29. After lunch in Kyoto, Weston decided not to accompany his parents and younger brother on a visit to a nearby temple.

That evening, his parents saw his location move on a family tracking app and texted him, but didn't receive an answer. 

He was last seen leaving the Yamashina train station in Kyoto. His parents believe Weston, an avid hiker, was going to a nearby trail.

Family launches private search after police suspend operation

Japanese police conducted an extensive search involving approximately 100 officers, K-9 units and helicopters over several days.

"My fear is that he doesn't have enough food because there is plenty of water, and that he's lost. Those mountains, that forest goes for a very long time and ... it's extremely dense."

The family is hiring a professional search and rescue crew in Japan, which is expected to cost over $100,000. They said they are not leaving Japan without their son.

"We have complete confidence that we are going to find him," Weston's dad, Keith Higginbotham, said.

Nancy said authorities recently informed the family that the official search effort had concluded.

"They conducted a very thorough search over three days," she said. "They did not find him."

The disappearance has drawn international attention as authorities continue investigating the circumstances surrounding the student's last known movements.

While police previously indicated it was "highly probable" that Weston left his family intentionally, no confirmed sightings have been reported since he disappeared, and his family continues to hope he will be found safe.