This Halloween, large crowds filled the streets of central Dublin in anticipation of a parade. They were drawn together after an article generated by AI appeared on a website called MySpiritHalloween.com, hyping the events. The article promised “spectacular floats to thrilling street performances” and detailed the parade route.
The parade, however, never transpired—but the sight of many people gathered for something that did not exist became its own spectacle. Subsequently, the incident gained traction online as a representation of AI-generated nonsense encroaching upon reality.
Since the rise of generative AI, a new breed of SEO entrepreneurs has emerged, creating AI-produced content across various websites and social media platforms in a bid to profit from online ads and affiliate marketing. One such entrepreneur is Nazir Ali, the owner of MySpiritHalloween.com. WIRED conducted an interview with him via Google Meet to hear his perspective on the affair. He asserts that it is simply a misunderstanding.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Nazir Ali: Feel free to inquire about anything.
Kate Knibbs: How are things going for you?
Honestly, I’m doing fine, but we’re feeling quite ashamed. The weight of the situation has us down, especially with everyone accusing us of wrongdoing. People are labeling us as fraudsters, claiming we scammed them. I assure you, that was never our intention!
Could you clarify the situation?
The reality is, we are the creators of content. I run an SEO agency that specializes in creating and ranking websites on Google. To assist us, we hired several content writers online, who provided support for various Halloween events around the world—including the USA, the UK, and most significantly, Ireland. If there were errors, such as an event that had been rescheduled, we made adjustments promptly. For instance, there were some events in Dubai, but when the hotel management informed us that one of the events wasn’t listed, we removed it right away. However, no one notified us that this event was canceled until it was late. We even added a note stating this has been canceled, but by then, the information had already circulated.
Now, I’d like to discuss the role of AI in this process—
Let me clarify. Writing a full website using AI is quite feasible. However, achieving a spot on the first page of Google is a different challenge altogether, and our site managed to secure a spot on that coveted first page—specifically, the top position. Sure, there was AI involvement; we utilized ChatGPT to assist in crafting articles. Nevertheless, it wasn’t solely dependent on ChatGPT. While we did incorporate AI and ChatGPT for support, we emphasized optimizing the content ourselves.
So, there was indeed a human editor involved?
Exactly, yes, we humanized it. Definitely. You cannot rank through AI content alone. AI was involved 10 percent or 20 percent. We were 80 percent involved. And we apologize to our Irish brothers. We are highly disappointed, highly embarrassed, and honestly, we are feeling bad.
Dubliners awaiting a Halloween parade that never showed up.
How many other websites do you have?
I own five websites. And actually, I want to tell you one more thing. Are you familiar with St. Patrick’s Day?
Indeed.
This year, we covered a multitude of events, particularly on the 17th of March to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day—and our efforts were recognized. Many individuals expressed their gratitude, thanking us for highlighting various St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Not a single event was marked as false, AI-generated, or similar. We strive to provide genuine content and aim to avoid misleading our Irish community. This situation arose from an error on our part. It’s important to refrain from labeling us as scammers unless you have verified the facts or reached out for clarification. I’m here to set the record straight.
Thank you for your understanding.
We take responsibility for this oversight.
Your name is Nazir Ali, but when you refer to “we”—
We are not willing to disclose any personal details that could be detrimental to us. Many individuals are discussing us, labeling us as scammers.
Would you mind sharing your thoughts on the allegations that you operate from Pakistan? Is there any truth to that?
We employ various content creators, one of whom is indeed from Pakistan, while the others come from different nations. However, I prefer not to disclose their specific nationalities. If I mention I’m from Dubai, for example, it could lead to negative assumptions. Whenever a piece is published stating a person is from Pakistan, India, Ireland, or the UAE, it tends to reflect poorly on the citizens of those nations.
Could you share how long you’ve been running this Halloween website?
You’ll be amazed to hear that we achieved a first-page ranking on Google within three months.
So, your site has only been active for three months?
That’s correct.
Why focus on holiday events?
It’s a broad subject, but it typically revolves around just one day. This allows us to create significant revenue during that time without the need for continuous effort throughout the year. We dedicate a few months to preparation, and then we can reap the financial rewards.
Can you elaborate on your business model? How do you generate income?
Our primary revenue streams come from Google Ads and affiliate marketing.
Has this made you rethink your operational methods? Will you alter your approach to using AI in the future?
We acknowledge our error. It’s crucial to verify our information thoroughly— not just once, but multiple times. Additionally, it’s important to remember that Google should not be viewed as the ultimate benchmark. Google merely serves as a search engine where anyone can publish content. Always verify the information presented to you!
Are you worried that Google might reduce your ranking now?
Absolutely. We are anticipating a decrease in our ranking by Google.
Is there anything that can be done to prevent this?
Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done. This situation arises from the misinformation spread by the media. Journalists don’t fully understand our actual intentions, yet they continue to portray them negatively. Currently, the team is feeling quite disheartened. Believe me when I say that if we wished to deceive people, we could easily do so by offering counterfeit tickets. However, we have never mentioned anything about tickets on our website. It would have been quite straightforward, yet we didn’t even bring up the ticket issue.
I’m relieved to hear that you haven’t taken that route.
Otherwise, we would be considered fraudsters, but we have chosen not to go down that path because it is against the law and strictly prohibited.
How much money do you make off SEO?
It varies greatly depending on the amount of traffic received.
Ballpark?
Additionally, we published approximately 1,400 articles. Achieving the publication of 1,400 articles within a three-month timeframe and ensuring they rank on Google is quite a feat. This indicates that the challenge was significant. It’s important to clarify that this is not a scam. We have other articles and other websites, and we have never encountered this type of issue before.
In addition to the St. Patrick’s Day websites, what are some of the other websites you’re operating?
Actually, I manage a few others focused on animals. There’s also a niche dedicated to SEO, educating individuals on becoming SEO experts, but I won’t disclose those specifics.
OK. Is there anything else you think people have misunderstood about you?
I want to emphasize that people should refrain from making hasty judgments. They can explore some of the processes—we encourage them to reach out to me or our team. We welcome questions. While they may express harsh or rude opinions, we are confident in our integrity and assure you that we are legitimate and not scammers. That’s all there is to it.
