Michael Schumacher AI interview: F1 icon’s family plan legal action against Die Aktuelle

German weekly magazine Die Aktuelle has been condemned over an ‘interview’ with F1 Ferrari icon Michael Schumacher that had been produced by AI
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The family of Formula One icon Michael Schumacher are planning to take legal action against a German weekly magazine over an ‘interview’ with the Ferrari champion racer that was generated by artificial intelligence. The 54-year-old has not been seen in public since he suffered a serious brain injury in a skiing accident in the French Alps in 2013.

Die Aktuelle ran a front cover spread that displayed a picture of the F1 great smiling with a headline promising “Michael Schumacher, the first interview”. The strapline claimed that “it sounded deceptively real”.

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The former racer’s family have heavily guarded his privacy ever since the accident and following the publishing of the ‘interview’ confirmed to ESPN that legal action will be taken. This will not be the first time both the Schumacher family and Die Aktuelle have been embroiled in conflict, after the magazine posted a picture of Michael and wife Corinna on the front cover with the headline “Awake” in 2014, only for it to be about people who have awoken from comas in the past.

The magazine has also went on to win a legal battle against the family a year later after a front cover claimed “a new love” had entered Corinna’s life. The article ended up being about about the couple’s daughter Gina.

Very little is known about Michael Schumacher’s current condition, but wife Corinna gave some details at the end of Netflix documentary titled Schumacher when she explained: “Michael is here. Different, but he’s here, and that gives us strength, I find. We’re together, we live together at home, we do therapy, we do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he’s comfortable, and to simply make him feel our family, our bond a nd no matter what, I will do everything I can, we all will.

“We’re trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does and we are getting on with our lives, ‘private is private’ as he always said. It’s very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible, Michael always protected us, and now we are protecting Michael.”

Michael Schumacher won seven Formula 1 championships - Credit: Getty ImagesMichael Schumacher won seven Formula 1 championships - Credit: Getty Images
Michael Schumacher won seven Formula 1 championships - Credit: Getty Images
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Schumacher’s legacy still lives on in his son, Mick, who has raced in F1 for the Haas team but is currently without a race seat in 2023. Mick Schumacher is now the reserve driver for Mercedes and British racer Lewis Hamilton.

What did the quotes say?

The article was produced using the AI programme, charatcher.ai and the quotes included comments such as: “I can with the help of my team actually stand by myself and even slowly walk a few steps.

“My wife and my children were 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.”

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