World2 min(s) read
Published 10:19 07 Jun 2026 GMT
The mom of Auburn University student, James 'Weston' Higginbotham, 20, who was found dead in Japan after going missing on May 29, has revealed that she argued with her son over her use of AI before he went missing.
During a family holiday of a lifetime to Japan, Weston went missing after setting out alone to explore Kyoto’s mountainous region.
According to a heartbreaking Facebook post written by the student’s mom, Nancy Higginbotham, “Weston was found deceased by a volunteer search-and-rescue group in a mountainous area outside of Kyoto.”
Weston was last spotted at Kyoto station at around 6PM on May 29, after deciding not to attend a temple with the rest of his family and set out on an adventure alone.
After seeing his location on a family tracking app, his parents believe that he was on his way to a nearby trial as he was an avid hiker.
Weston remained missing for over a week as public appeals and searches took place.
It has now been revealed that the mother and son argued shortly before the 20-year-old went missing.
Higginbotham claimed that her use of an AI chatbot, ChatGPT, was "a sore subject" between her and her son.
She told CBS News: "I was using a little bit too much ChatGPT. Japan is a country that I've had a hard time navigating.
"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 experts from the University of California, Riverside, using the chatbot for between ten and 50 queries consumes about two litres of water.
Tragically, the young man’s mom shared an update no parent should ever have to write on June 6.
She wrote on Facebook: "Our family is heartbroken to share that Weston was found deceased by a volunteer search-and-rescue group in a mountainous area outside of Kyoto. The grief we feel is impossible to put into words.
"We are forever grateful for the time we had with our sweet, precious Weston, but cannot begin to understand what life without him will be like."
Nancy continued the post, thanking those who partook in the search, saying, "We are deeply grateful to the countless people across the United States, Japan, and around the world who shared Weston’s story, prayed for our family, offered encouragement, and helped in the search efforts.
"The outpouring of kindness and support has carried us through the darkest days of our lives."
