- Michael Schumacher's family is taking legal action against German magazine Die Actuelle.
- The magazine published a fake interview with the racing driver generated by AI.
The family of Michael Schumacher is planning to take legal action against a gossip magazine after it published a fake interview with the F1 driver using AI-generated quotes.
In its most recent edition, German publication Die Actuelle featured a picture of Schumacher smiling on its front page.
—Ferrari News (@FanaticsFerrari) April 20, 2023
"Michael Schumacher, the first interview," said the headline, and underneath added that "it sounded deceptively real" in a reference to the fact the interview had been created by AI.
The racing driver was placed in an induced coma after a 2013 skiing accident in the French Alps. With his family intensely guarding his privacy, details of his current condition are unclear.
The magazine article featured fake quotes created by an AI program called charatcter.ai, in which Schumacher discussed his health and the support of his family.
"My wife and my children were a blessing to me and without them I would not have managed it. Naturally they are also very sad, how it has all happened.
"They support me and are standing firmly at my side."
The magazine only revealed at the end of the "interview" that it had been AI generated, and the publication received widespread criticism.
The family confirmed to Reuters that it will be pursuing legal action against Die Actuelle.
Schumacher is among the most successful racing drivers in history, and is tied with Lewis Hamilton at seven F1 titles.