F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Schumacher family awarded €200,000 in damages for fake A.I. interview

The family of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher has received a significant financial settlement after a German magazine published a fabricated interview of the seven-time world champion in April 2023.

The controversy arose when Die Aktuelle splashed a story across its cover titled "Michael Schumacher, the first interview."

The article purported to be a tell-all conversation with the retired racing champion, who has been kept out of the public eye by his family since suffering severe brain injuries in a skiing accident in Meribel, France in 2013.

However, upon closer inspection, the interview was revealed to be entirely fictional. Die Aktuelle had used artificial intelligence (AI) to generate responses supposedly from Schumacher himself.

The deceptive tactic caused outrage within the racing community and the wider public, and in the wake of the controversy, Die Aktuelle’s editor-in-chief was fired.

However, the Schumacher family swiftly took legal action against the magazine's publisher, Funke Mediengruppe.

The Munich Labour Court recently ruled in their favor, ordering Funke to pay a hefty compensation of €200,000 to the Schumacher family.

This landmark case serves as a stark warning against the misuse of AI technology in journalism. It highlights the importance of journalistic integrity and the potential ethical pitfalls associated with deepfakes.

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Michael Delaney

Recent Posts

Alpine seeking professionalism not chemistry between drivers

Having confirmed that Esteban Ocon will depart their driver line-up at the end of the…

15 hours ago

Russell admits to 'bloody challenging' time at Mercedes

When George Russell finally earned his promotion to then-world champions Mercedes in 2022 after year…

16 hours ago

Vowles promises 'big names' are heading to Williams

Williams principal James Vowles has promised that there will be a slate of big name…

17 hours ago

Norris fears 2026 changes will reopen 'big gaps' in F1

Lando Norris is worried that the next round of major changes to Formula 1's riles…

18 hours ago

A salute to F1's most gifted rebel

James Hunt sadly left us 31 years ago today but the memories of F1's gifted…

19 hours ago

Aston Martin confirms plans for Hypercar endurance return

Aston Martin has confirmed that it will be fielding two entries in the Hypercar class…

20 hours ago