Looks like AI is a terrible party planner.<\/p>\n
Thousands of revelers were tricked by phony social media videos into gathering at Brooklyn Bridge Park to watch a grand fireworks display on New Year\u2019s Eve \u2014 only to find out the event didn\u2019t actually exist.<\/p>\n
Accounts across TikTok and Instagram reportedly used AI videos to plug the supposed show as a perfect way to ring in 2026 \u2014 prompting thousands to believe the online slop and show up, and even sparking an article in Time Out New York promoting the non-event as a hot thing to do on the holiday.<\/p>\n
Thousands rang in the new year at Brooklyn Bridge Park expecting a fireworks show. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cDid we get pranked? We got pranked. The amount of people who are misinformed here,\u201d said Zack Gill, who was tricked into going down to the park posted a viral video of the disappointed crowd.<\/a><\/p>\n The clip shows a huge throng of duped revelers on the Brooklyn riverside counting down the second to midnight \u2014 and then looking stunned as no fireworks went off on the bridge.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does this say about 2026?\u201d his friend responds.<\/p>\n Other angles of the prank <\/a>show thousands of eager celebrants with phones in hand, ready to capture the moment the light show went off over the Brooklyn Bridge.<\/p>\n The group counted down together and cheered \u2014 and then there was a noticeable silence when the sky stayed dark.<\/p>\n The only waterfront fireworks show took place near the Statue of Liberty and down at Coney Island, both far from the views at the DUMBO piers. <\/p>\n There was a fireworks show down the East River at the Statue of Liberty. AP<\/p>\n Central Park and Prospect Park also had fireworks shows.<\/p>\n The thousands of revelers \u2014 who braved below-freezing temperatures and frigid gusts for the opportunity \u2014 were apparently fed false information on social media that came from ChatGPT, irresponsible content creators and ill-meaning pranksters.<\/p>\n Perhaps the most shocking source of misinformation came from Time Out New York, which named the waterfront on its list of \u201cbest places to watch New Year\u2019s Eve fireworks in NYC for free.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIf you want fireworks with a skyline backdrop, Brooklyn Bridge Park is the place to be. From Piers one through six along DUMBO\u2019s waterfront, you\u2019ll get sweeping views of the East River, Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges framing the show. It\u2019s a prime location for photos, especially as fireworks reflect off the water. The downside is that it fills up fast. Aim to arrive before sunset to get the best spot,\u201d wrote Gerrish Lopez, a New Orleans native, whose bylines mostly consist of nationwide food listicles. <\/p>\n The article has since been edited<\/a> to remove Brooklyn Bridge Park, but Time Out did not order a correction. <\/p>\n Secret NYC, which boasts itself as the \u201cultra-shareable online guide to news, events, and things to do\u201d in the Big Apple, also listed the spot in a now-deleted Facebook post, putting Brooklyn Bridge Park in the No. 1 slot. <\/p>\n Representatives for Time Out and Secret NYC did not immediately respond to The Post\u2019s request for comment.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Some of the so-called victims admitted they relied on AI programs like ChatGPT for tips on how to ring in the new year.<\/p>\n Social media was also rampant with pranksters advising tourists to count down from midnight at the park or in DUMBO.<\/p>\n A Facebook post purportedly claimed Brooklyn Bridge Park as a location to watch NYE fireworks in NYC.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Brooklyn Bridge has a very good view of the fireworks and you can avoid the Times Square craziness,\u201d one troll wrote on Reddit.<\/a><\/p>\n While the experience was a let-down for the thousands who braved the cold for nothing, it provided great fodder for others to start 2026 with a laugh.<\/p>\n \u201cwho\u2019s going to tell them is not 4th of July?\u201d one viewer commented.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never laughed so hard in my life,\u201d another said.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t