German publication, Die Aktuelle, ran an AI-generated interview with the former F1 driver Michael Schumacher. His family found this grossly offensive as he’s now disabled and unable to talk; they’re now planning to sue.
The aforementioned publication has come under fire for publishing a front-page interview featuring a photo of the legendary driver with the false claim that they had his “first interview” since his injury. Schumacher has been in a medically induced coma since December 2013 when he suffered a severe head injury skiing in the French Alps. He hasn’t appeared in the media since his condition is so severe. He is currently cared for by his wife Corinna and a team of experienced medical staff at his Lake Geneva home.
Understandably, very little has been publicly said about Michael’s condition so the very notion that he had conducted an exclusive interview with Aktuelle was a shock to the public. The Schumachers are very protective of Michael and confirmed to Reuters that they were planning legal action against the publication for their false claims.
Little has been made public about his condition and so news that the stricken driver had conducted an exclusive interview quickly turned heads.
The fake article opens with the following:
‘Talk to him once. Ask him how he’s really doing. And finally got answers almost ten years after his tragic skiing accident. No meager, nebulous half-sentences from friends. But answers from him! By Michael Schumacher, 54! Here it is – the incredible interview! With redeeming answers to the most burning questions the whole world has been asking for so long.’
The article does end with the admission that all of it’s contents are fake and generated by a generative AI language model, however, people still aren’t happy with this sordid PR stunt. F1 fans on social media condemned the publication for its “lack of morals” in saying that they had spoken to Schumacher.
