Parents Search for Missing Auburn Student in Japan

The mother of James “Weston” Higginbotham, an Auburn University engineering student who disappeared in Japan, shared details with CBS News about a disagreement over the use of ChatGPT during their vacation. Weston, 20, has been missing since May 29.

Nancy Higginbotham revealed that the use of ChatGPT became a contentious issue between her and Weston, noting, “I was using a little bit too much ChatGPT. Japan is a country that I’ve had a hard time navigating.” She added that Weston opposes AI due to its environmental impact, particularly on water resources.

Weston chose to remain behind as his family visited a temple in Kyoto. Later that day, his parents noticed his location change via a family tracking app and attempted to contact him, but received no response. He was last recorded leaving Yamashina train station in Kyoto, possibly heading towards a trail, as he is known to be an enthusiastic hiker.

Nancy Higginbotham expressed her concerns, saying, “My fear is that he got hurt and that he’s stuck. 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.”

A family photo shared on Facebook shows James “Weston” Higginbotham, who went missing near Kyoto on May 29, 2026.

Search Efforts

Efforts to find Weston are ongoing, though police have paused their search. “They said they’ve concluded their search of the area that they committed to and they conducted a very thorough search over three days to include 100 police officers, K9 dogs, the helicopters, and they did not find him,” Nancy explained.

In response, the Higginbotham family is hiring a professional search and rescue team in Japan at an estimated cost of $100,000, with a commitment to not leave the country without Weston. Weston’s father, Keith Higginbotham, stated, “We have complete confidence that we are going to find him.”