Schumacher’s Family to Sue Over Fake AI Interview

Facts

• On Wednesday, the family of Michael Schumacher said they would file suit against the publisher of Die Aktuelle, a German magazine, for running a fake interview with the seven-time F1 champion that was created by artificial intelligence (AI).¹
• Schumacher hasn't been seen publicly since he suffered a near-fatal brain injury in December 2013 while skiing. His medical condition has been kept confidential with his wife, Corinna, focused on protecting his privacy.²
• The April 15 edition of the magazine featured a picture of a smiling Schumacher on its front cover and a headline promoting “Michael Schumacher, the first interview.”³
• A strapline under the headline read, “it sounded deceptively real.”⁴
• In the story, Schumacher was quoted as saying his life has “completely changed” since the accident, which left him in a “kind of artificial coma” for months. The magazine revealed the quotes were generated by AI at the end of the article.⁵

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²Independent, ³CNN, ⁴Yahoo Finance, and ⁵Forbes.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Daily Mail. While this was an undeniably tone-deaf stunt, there’s no reason for legal action. Schumacher is a public figure, and the magazine — fully transparent about the origin of the "interview" — had the right to attract attention by using his name. It seems the family wants privacy except when they agree to sit for interviews for their own documentary, as they did in 2022.
• Narrative B, as provided by USA Today. This was a disgusting, self-promoting tactic by Die Aktuelle, and the Schumacher family deserves any damages it can get from the magazine. But beyond the Schumacher family’s predicament, this incident shows how AI can be used for nefarious purposes, and the world must prepare for the blurring of the line between true and fake information.

Predictions