The mother of a missing Auburn University student asked hikers in Japan to assist police in the search for her son, who vanished a week ago after what his family says was an argument over artificial intelligence.
James “Weston” Higginbotham, 20, was last seen 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 help with the search.
Police in Kyoto said Weston Higginbotham had been missing since leaving his hotel on May 29. They said he was last seen wearing light purple pants and a white T-shirt that says “Save the Bees” on the back.
Shortly after he left the hotel, security camera footage confirmed by the police showed him walking alone on the streets of Yamashina. Police wanted to start searching for him right away, but heavy rains from a typhoon delayed the search until Wednesday, according to Takuya Nishikawa of the Kyoto Prefectural Police Headquarters.
Nishikawa said Friday that police had completed their search of the northern part of Yamashina but that the search was continuing elsewhere. Various tips have come in, Nishikawa said, without sharing details.
On Thursday, Nancy Higginbotham said rescuers searching for her son were “incredibly thorough in the difficult conditions.”
“It’s been a long, stressful day,” she said in a Facebook post. “Today, dozens of Japanese police officers searched through waist-high mud in an effort to find Weston. Search dogs and helicopters were also deployed.”
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.”
