German magazine 'Die Aktuelle' claimed to have conducted a sensational interview with F1 legend Michael Schumacher who has not been seen in public since his skiing accident in 2013. But there was a catch.
The weekly magazine – a regular source of celeb gossip stories with little interest in truthfulness and decency – published a stirring cover picture of the seven-time world champion headlined with the words "Michael Schumacher - The First Interview, a World Sensation" that obviously caught the attention of many followers.
However, a closer look at the cover reveals a caption at the bottom of the picture that reads, 'It sounds deceptively real', an obvious disclaimer added for the purpose of keeping the salacious magazine's editorial staff out of legal hot waters.
Inside, quotes such as 'My life has totally changed' are assigned to Schumacher. But in reality, the interview is nothing more than a shameful and fabricated Q&A exchange generated by an A.I. app.
Needless to say, the magazine's deceitful scheme was heavily criticized by readers on social media.
At first glance, even German media expert Boris Rosenkranz, founder of Übermedien, didn't know what he was reading exactly.
"It's too stupid to be true", he wrote in an op-ed on his website. "The world would be a better place without 'Die Aktuelle'," he also tweeted.
Unfortunately, the Schumacher family's efforts to protect Michael's privacy at all costs have led to regular attempts by the media to pierce through ruse or fraud the veil of secrecy surrounding the F1 great.
Perhaps one should ask the A.I. bot what Michael Schumacher thinks of the tabloid press and its methods?
Update:
Michael Schumacher's family has opted to take legal action against 'Die Aktuelle' for running the A.I. generated fake interview.
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