For all the useful things artificial intelligence can do, there are bad things too. Unless you consider tricking thousands of people into showing up for a nonexistent Halloween parade to be a good time. That’s what happened on Halloween eve in Dublin, Ireland, when an AI-generated ad prompted a crowd to attend a parade that never happened.
The event, dubbed My Spirit Halloween, was advertised for 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the streets of Dublin. The online advertisement was picked up by TikTok and Google and spread quickly from there, even earning a news ranking on Google. But when thousands of Dubliners took to the streets for the event, nothing happened. Ireland’s police force had to issue an official message informing people that the event was a hoax and asking them to “disperse safely.”
“Everyone is trying to have a fun and safe Halloween. Having a parade to go to sounded really good,” said local city councilor Janice Boylan. “I know an awful lot of people turned up. It’s a terrible pity.” The My Spirit Halloween, reportedly a website hosted in Pakistan that posts AI-generated news, and the fake parade listing has been taken down.
