Numerous criticisms surrounding artificial intelligence often exist in theoretical or hard-to-measure realms. For example, we can't accurately determine how many individuals may be influenced by AI-generated disinformation. However, there are notable instances where AI has tangibly disrupted people's lives. A striking example occurred when an AI-generated content farm misled thousands of residents in Dublin into believing there was a three-hour Halloween parade in the city center that never existed. Following attempts to disperse the misled crowds, Ireland’s national police service had to issue a statement clarifying that no such parade was ever planned. Defector looked into the website responsible for this misleading event. Named “My Spirit Halloween, ” it appears to be based in Pakistan and is solely focused on promoting Halloween events worldwide. The intention is to manipulate Google search results so that when users search for Halloween activities in their location, My Spirit Halloween appears among the top results, allowing them to generate ad revenue. More established websites engage in similar tactics to attract easy traffic; for instance, when people search for the release date of the next season of Stranger Things.

However, My Spirit Halloween seems to have been using AI not only to automatically generate event listings but also to make outlandish claims—at one point hinting that Mr. Beast would be present. This incident illustrates how Google’s algorithms and their content ranking can significantly affect individuals' lives. A less concerning example might be recipe websites that provide lengthy introductions before the actual recipe, another strategy to improve search rankings. The event page for the fictitious Dublin parade now contains the following message: “We want to announce that the information which misled thousands of Irish individuals was a significant error by our content writer. This was not done intentionally, and we sincerely apologize to our Irish brothers for this misunderstanding. ” Despite this “misunderstanding, ” the site now lists the event as “canceled. ” If you're ever doubtful about a website's authenticity, check their about page. Steer clear of any masthead that resembles this: