AI has done it again, only this time, it went a little too far. No one ruins Halloween on my watch—except, apparently, an AI-generated website from Pakistan that fooled eager spooky season lovers into attending a fake Halloween parade in Dublin.
It all started when a “My Spirit Halloween” website marketed a Macnas Halloween Parade, telling readers the event would take place between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. in Dublin. However, when thousands of costumed people gathered in the city, they quickly realized they were awaiting an event that simply did not exist.
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What happened next? Chaos. A huge crowd blocked the capital’s streets and sidewalks, forcing police to step in to disperse the disappointed revelers.
One person recorded the scene and shared it on his TikTok, telling The Independent that “the Gardaí were trying to clear the street.”
“It was also the festival of Divali last night, so a lot of people were out on the street as well,” he explained.
The Gardaí also shared a statement on X, advising individuals to “disperse safely” after making it known there was no scheduled parade.
It’s unclear what, exactly, was the point of spreading false information about a fake event. However, most people believe the site was created to drive ad revenue.
While the hoax was a letdown for Dubliners, at least Dublin City Council has a year to prep for an actual parade next Halloween—I mean, they can certainly be guaranteed a solid crowd.
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