The family of legendary F1 driver Michael Schumacher plans on taking legal action against a German gossip magazine, Die Actuelle, for publishing an AI-generated fake interview with the seven-time world champion. On its latest issue, the magazine featured a photo of Schumacher with the headline “Michael Schumacher, the first interview”, despite the AI generated quotes appearing throughout the article.
Schumacher suffered a tragic skiing accident back in 2013, resulting in him being placed in an induced coma, with little details of his current health being available to the public. In the fake interview created by the AI program, “Character AI”, Schumacher is quoted discussing his health and the strong support from family.
The family of Schumacher confirmed to Reuters that legal action would be pursued against Die Actuelle as the magazine only revealed at the very end of the fabricated content that it was created by AI. This unleashed a wave of criticism against the magazine for pushing the boundaries of ethical journalism.
Schumacher is widely regarded as one of the most successful racing drivers in history, tied with Lewis Hamilton in winning seven F1 titles. This status has earned him fame and respect around the world, but also a significant number of fans following his career, making it all the more important that employers of ethical journalism are held accountable for such deceptive practices.
The German publication, Die Actuelle, features a combination of stories related to sports, culture, celebrities and politics. Established over 20 years ago, the magazine has gained a large readership base and has been known to write articles giving insights on notable figures in the world’s culture, which has put it on the world’s mainstream media radar. It is well known for covering topics related to figure skaters, snowboarders, bicyclists, and Formula One drivers, amongst others. Therefore, it was all the more concerning that the magazine would cross the boundaries of ethical journalism in its latest issue.
