Schumacher’s family suing German magazine over fake interview
Michael Schumacher’s family is preparing to take legal action against German tabloid magazine Die Aktuelle, for publishing an AI-generated “interview” with the star.
The publication has been slammed for using Michael’s face on their April 15 front cover, promoting the piece as “the first interview” since the star’s skiing accident in December 2013.
“No meagre, nebulous half-sentences from friends. But answers from him! By Michael Schumacher, 54!” read the text in the magazine.
“It sounded deceptively real,” they added in the strapline, which was the only indicator that the piece was fake.
The “interview” included quotes that insensitively described Schumacher’s recovery, following the accident where he suffered a serious brain injury.
“I was so badly injured that I lay for months in a kind of artificial coma, because otherwise my body couldn’t have dealt with it all,” the quote read.
“I’ve had a tough time but the hospital team has managed to bring me back to my family,” they added.
It was only at the end of the article that the publication revealed that they used Character.ai, an AI chatbot, to create the interview.
A spokesperson for Schumachers confirmed their intention to take legal action against Die Aktuelle to Reuters and ESPN.
This isn’t the first time Schumacher’s family have taken action against Die Aktuelle.
In 2015, Michael’s wife, Corinna Schumacher filed a lawsuit against the magazine after they used Corinna’s picture with the headline: “Corinna Schumacher – a new love makes her happy.”
The story was actually about their daughter, Gina, but the lawsuit was dismissed.
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