Source: REUTERS/Pierre Albouy
[Saba Sports News] In April of last year, the German gossip magazine “Die Aktuelle” published a fabricated interview. They used artificial intelligence to “fake” an exclusive interview with Michael Schumacher, the seven-time F1 world champion. The magazine featured Schumacher’s photo on the cover and used attention-grabbing headlines like “World Sensational News” and “Michael Schumacher’s First Interview,” leading fans to mistakenly believe that the racing legend had recovered and granted an interview. However, the subtitle of the article revealed the truth, stating that the interview was generated by artificial intelligence. The international and German media have generally respected Schumacher’s privacy since his skiing accident, but “Die Aktuelle” broke this “unwritten rule” in a distasteful attempt to boost sales, which drew dissatisfaction from fans and the media industry. The Schumacher family took immediate legal action, and in order to avoid further escalation, “Die Aktuelle” magazine apologized to the family and dismissed its editor-in-chief, Anne Hoffmann. The magazine’s parent company, “Funke Media,” also paid 200,000 euros in compensation to Schumacher.