Michael Schumacher: Family Compensated Huge Sum After AI Interview Controversy

Michael Schumacher's family has been awarded with €200,000 after a German publication released an AI-generated interview last year.

Michael Schumacher / Mercedes Press Image

After a German magazine published a fabricated AI-generated interview with F1 legend Michael Schumacher, who has been out of the public eye since a severe skiing accident in 2013, the publication has been ordered to pay €200,000 (about $217,000 USD) in compensation, according to a report from ESPN.

In April 2023, 'Die Aktuelle' magazine featured what they claimed was an exclusive interview with Schumacher. The excitement was short-lived when it was revealed that the entire piece was created using artificial intelligence, with no real input from Schumacher or his family. On top of this, the Schumacher family were completely unaware that this article was being made. It led to widespread public and legal backlash, culminating in a lawsuit against the magazine. The Munich Labor Court confirmed the settlement recently, marking a significant victory for the Schumacher family against the deceptive journalistic practices.

The compensation was issued by Funke Media Group, which owns Die Aktuelle. In response to the lawsuit, the media group also terminated Anne Hoffman, the then-editor-in-chief who approved the publication of the fabricated interview. Besides issuing an apology to the Schumacher family, the media group has faced intense scrutiny over their editorial standards and practices.

Bianca Pohlman, managing director of FUNKE Magazines, said at the time of Hoffman's firing in a press release:

“This tasteless and misleading article should never have appeared.

“It in no way corresponds to the standards of journalism that we–and our readers–expect from a publisher like FUNKE.”

This is not the first time 'Die Aktuelle' has been in hot water over its content regarding Schumacher. The magazine previously published misleading headlines suggesting significant health improvements that were not grounded in reality, upsetting the family and fans alike. The Schumacher family has maintained a high level of privacy regarding Michael’s condition, as emphasized in a recent Netflix documentary that explores his storied career and ongoing challenges.