The family of seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher has been awarded €200,000 in compensation following a scandal involving an AI-generated interview published by German magazine Die Aktuelle. The misleading article, falsely claiming to feature Schumacher’s first interview since his near-fatal skiing accident in 2013, sparked backlash and legal action from the family, leading to a Munich Labour Court judgement in their favour.
Michael Schumacher’s family has been awarded €200,000 in compensation from the German magazine Die Aktuelle. The magazine published an “exclusive interview” with Schumacher in April 2023, which was actually generated by an artificial intelligence program. Schumacher, a seven-time Formula 1 champion, has been out of the public eye since a near-fatal skiing accident in December 2013 in Meribel, France. Since the accident, his wife, Corinna Schumacher, has maintained his privacy while he recovers at home in Switzerland.
Die Aktuelle’s April 15, 2023, edition falsely claimed the interview as Schumacher’s first since his accident, featuring AI-generated quotes about his life post-accident. The revelation that the interview was generated by an AI chatbot led to significant backlash from fans and prompted legal action from Schumacher’s family. In response, the magazine fired its editor, Anne Hoffmann, and issued an apology for the misleading article. The family’s legal victory was confirmed on May 23, 2024, by a Munich Labour Court judgement.
This isn’t the first controversy involving Die Aktuelle and the Schumacher family. Previous instances included misleading covers in 2014 and 2015. Schumacher’s health remains a private matter, closely guarded by his family, who continue to provide updates sparingly, as shown in a Netflix documentary aired in 2021.
