The family of Formula One legend Michael Schumacher are planning to take legal action against a German magazine for publishing a purported artificial intelligence-generated interview with the 54-year-old. Sabine Kehm, a spokesperson for the Schumacher family, confirmed to the Associated Press via email that a case is being prepared against Die Aktuelle, one of the many tabloid celebrity magazines in Germany.
The magazine published the supposed interview, which claimed to be written by artificial intelligence, on its front page last weekend. It also included a photo of the F1 great with the words “Michael Schumacher, the first interview!” written on it. The magazine also wrote that the quotes were generated by AI and that it “sounds deceptively real.”
The interview comes on the back of Schumacher’s tragic ski accident in December 2013 which nearly cost him his life. The seven-time F1 champion crashed his head into a rock, splitting open his helmet, whilst skiing in the French Alps at Meribel. Medical personnel worked to take out the blood clots from his brain, but were unable to remove any that were too deeply embedded. Since then, Schumacher has been recovering in private at his family’s home in Switzerland.
F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, who races for Mercedes, currently shares the record for the most F1 titles with Schumacher, since his 2012 retirement. Thus bringing an end to a legacy of over three seasons with the same team.
Die Aktuelle magazine has been widely criticized for their article. It is illegal in Germany to publish stories without the consent of those mentioned, which means the Schumachers are perfectly within their rights to pursue legal action. It is a prime example of the lack of journalistic integrity produced by tabloid magazines, and could be a warning to other celebrities in the future.
