Police brace for bomb threats, AI hoaxes on April Fools’ Day

Police are on heightened alert ahead of April Fools’ Day, amid concerns that social media misuse and generative artificial intelligence could fuel public panic and disrupt order. Police said Tuesday that fake bomb threats and AI-generated misinformation have largely replaced prank emergency calls, which used to spike around April Fools’ Day. Emergency authorities said an average of 57 false calls were made to emergency lines on April 1, 2009, prompting anti-prank call campaigns in the early 2010