German magazine faces charges over fake AI Schumacher interview

The family of seven-time Formula One winner Michael Schumacher plans to take legal action against a German magazine, after it published a fake interview with the former racing driver, which was generated by artificial intelligence.

Die Aktuelle, a weekly magazine in Germany, published a photograph of Schumacher on the front page on April 15 with the headline “Michael Schumacher, the first interview.” However, the interview on page eight was AI-generated. It also featured fictional quotes attributed to Schumacher regarding his medical condition and his family since his accident.

The AI-generated interview featured on page eight of the magazine with the headline and read: “My life has changed completely.” It also includes fictional quotes ascribed to Schumacher talking about his medical condition and his family since the accident.

The magazine revealed the interview was a product of AI towards the end of the article. The Schumacher family plans to press charges against the magazine for publishing the fake interview.

A member of the family confirmed this in an interview with CNN, stating that the family wants to protect Schumacher’s privacy and will not tolerate any fake news or speculation about his health.

The spokesperson of the publisher of Die Aktuelle, Dennis Barkhausen, has however refused to make comments on the issue. 

“Private is private”

 Schumacher suffered a brain injury while skiing in December 2013 and he has not been seen in public since then. To keep their privacy, the Schumacher family has kept information about the medical condition and health of the motorsport legend minimal.

In September 2021, Corinna Schumacher, wife to Michael, talked about her husband’s condition and his career in Formula One in a Netflix documentary. She mentioned that he has been undergoing therapy to make him better. In her words, they have been trying to carry on as a family. The family has been doing everything to make him comfortable.

In the documentary, she mentioned that Michael has always believed that private is private. The family has therefore made it a priority for him to enjoy his private life as much as possible. She said that “Michael always protected us, and now we are protecting Michael.”

Michael’s 24-year-old son has carried the Schumacher surname into motorsport as he made his F1 debut in 2021.

Generative AI safety concerns

The widespread use of generative AI in recent months has brought about a new set of concerns as the technology is increasingly abused. In some instances, AI has generated false photographic evidence of events that never occurred, including a non-existent earthquake from 2001. Additionally, an AI simulation of a duet between superstar artists Drake and Weeknd recently spread across the internet.

The misuse of AI has raised questions about the compliance and safety of the technology. As a result, governments and corporations are wary about the influence of the technology on the society. Countries such as the United Kingdom, China, Italy, and Canada have expressed concerns about the trend, with some taking steps to regulate the use of AI.

Photo credit: Zoltan Fekeshazy( Unsplash)