.png)
6 months ago
25
The family of Michael Schumacher have won €200,000 (£170,212) in compensation from the publishers of a magazine who printed an artificial intelligence-generated interview with the legendary racing driver last year.
F1 icon Schumacher - who won seven world championships - was involved in a skiing accident in December 2013 that left him in a medically induced coma. He hasn't appeared publicly since.
The German is cared for by a team of medical staff and his wife Corinna at their Lake Geneva home, but little has been made public about his condition.
However, German publication Die Aktuelle published an interview with Schumacher in April 2023, with a photo of him used on the front cover of the edition.
Die Aktuelle ran the piece under the headline 'Michael Schumacher, the first interview', while a strapline of 'it sounded deceptively real' was also featured.
Michael Schumacher's family have won €200,000 (£170,212) in compensation from the publishers of a magazine who printed an artificial intelligence-generated interview with him
German mag Die Aktuelle claimed to have an 'exclusive interview' with Schumacher last year
Schumacher (pictured in 2005) hasn't been in public since a skiing accident in 2013
Yet, it emerged that the supposed Schumacher quotes in the interview had been produced by AI.
The article was widely condemned at the time, with the editor of Die Aktuelle, who are owned by the Essen-based Funke media group, sacked two days later, while Funke also apologised to Schumacher's family, who promised to take legal action.
And on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Schumacher family confirmed news of the subsequent €200,000 (£170,212) compensation judgement.
Given the secrecy surrounding Schumacher's condition, with it understood that many of the family's close friends and relations are even unsure about the state of his health, heads were turned when Die Aktuelle published the 'exclusive interview' on April 15 last year.
The article opened: 'Talk to him once. Ask him how he's really doing. And finally got answers almost 10 years after his tragic skiing accident.
'No meagre, nebulous half-sentences from friends. But answers from him! By Michael Schumacher, 54!
'Here it is — the incredible interview! With redeeming answers to the most burning questions that the whole world has been asking for so long.'
The article, which did not feature a byline, continued before ending with an admission that the quotes are in fact fake and they have not spoken to Schumacher or anyone in the family.
'Did Michael Schumacher really say everything himself? The interview was online. On a page that has to do with artificial intelligence, or AI for short,' the widely derided piece concluded.
F1 fans condemned the magazine for its 'lack of decency' and the 'shame' in purporting to have spoken to Schumacher.
Schumacher's wife Corinna (pictured together skiing in 2005) has kept his condition private
Die Aktuelle was widely condemned for purporting to have spoken with Schumacher
Schumacher is one of the most successful F1 drivers of all time, having claimed the world title in 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004. He also added 71 fastest laps and 155 podiums to his name during his iconic racing career.
But, with his ongoing health battle, Schumacher's family remain very protective of his privacy.
However, in the Netflix documentary 'Schumacher', which aired in 2021, his wife Corinna did provide a rare update.
She revealed he continues to undergo rehabilitation for the life-changing injuries he suffered and claimed he is now 'different, but here'.
English (US)