April 22 (Reuters) – The publisher of the German magazine that published an artificial intelligence-generated ‘interview’ with Michael Schumacher has fired its editor and apologized to the family of the Formula One great.
The seven-time world champion, now 54, has not been seen in public since he suffered severe brain damage in a skiing accident in December 2013 while on a family vacation in the French Alps. not.
His family said this week they are planning a lawsuit against the weekly Die Aktuelle, which is owned by Essen-based Funke Media Group.
Funke apologized in a statement on its website www.funkemedien.de.
“This tasteless and misleading article should never have been published. It never meets the standards of journalism that we and our readers have come to expect from a publisher like Funk,” said Funk magazine. Managing Director Bianca Pohlmann said.
“As a result of the publication of this article, immediate personnel consequences will be drawn.
“Effective today, Die Aktuelle editor-in-chief Anne Hoffmann, who has been the newspaper’s head of press since 2009, will be relieved of her duties.”
The latest edition of Die Aktuelle adorned the cover with a picture of a smiling Schumacher and a headline promising “Michael Schumacher, First Interview”.
The catchphrase added, “It sounded deceptively real.”
Inside, it’s revealed that the “quotes” were generated by AI.
Schumacher’s family maintains strict privacy about the former driver’s condition, with access restricted to those closest to him.
Corinna Schumacher said in the 2021 Netflix documentary, “We’re living together at home. We’re doing therapy. Making Michael better, making sure he’s comfortable, just I will do everything I can to make him feel our family and our bond.
“We’re trying to continue as a family the way Michael loved us and we still do. And we’re just getting on with our lives.”
Reporting by Alan Baldwin, London; Editing by Christian Radnage
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