In an unusual turn of events, Dublin experienced an unprecedented gathering when thousands of costume-clad revelers assembled for a Halloween parade that turned out to be fake. The incident, reported by American news outlet Vice, unfolded due to a Pakistani AI website spreading fake news.
The situation began when participants, responding to an online announcement, gathered for what they believed would be an organized Halloween celebration. As time passed, the growing crowd’s expectations were met with confusion as no parade took place.
The massive turnout eventually led to traffic disruptions, prompting local law enforcement to step in. Dublin police were forced to disperse the crowd, informing bewildered attendees that no official parade had been scheduled for the evening.
Further investigation uncovered that the phantom parade announcement originated from ‘My Spirit Halloween,’ an AI-powered website reportedly based in Pakistan.
The site had advertised a Halloween parade scheduled for Thursday between 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM in Ireland. While the motive behind this false announcement remains unclear, speculation suggests the website may have designed the hoax to generate advertising revenue and traffic.