The family of a Formula One racecar driver is seeking legal action against a German magazine.
Relatives of Michael Schumacher, who earned seven Formula One championships in his career before suffering a near-fatal skiing accident in 2013, said they are planning to sue German publication Die Aktuelle over an alleged fake interview created with artificial intelligence, his family told BBC Sport.
On April 15, the German outlet published a photo of Schumacher smiling on its front cover, writing, “Michael Schumacher, the first interview,” as seen in photos shared by BBC Sport. The magazine also wrote in a subheading that the quotes “sounded deceptively real” before disclosing later in the article that the interview was actually generated by AI and not the real racecar driver, according to the BBC.
The magazine also alleged that the interview was “no meagre, nebulous half-sentences from friends. But answers from him! By Michael Schumacher, 54,” according to ESPN.
The AI quotes contain material about Schumacher’s wife Corinna and his kids, as well as health updates, per BBC.
