zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Michael Schumacher's Family Will Sue Over 'Deceptively Real' Fake AI Interview
Michael Schumacher's Family Will Sue Over 'Deceptively Real' Fake AI Interview-December 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:46

Michael Schumacher addresses reporters as he announces his retirement ahead of the 2012 Japanese Grand Prix on October 4, 2012.

The cover of last Saturday’s edition of German tabloid Die Aktuelle advertised “the first interview” with seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher, who has spent the last decade recovering from a traumatic brain injury he suffered while skiing. Schumacher’s quotes in the “interview” were actually supplied by an AI chatbot, which Die Aktuelle revealed at the end of the piece. The racing legend’s family intends to take legal action in response, multiple outlets reported Thursday.

A representative for the Schumacher family “pointed to published reports of legal action” when asked for comment by . Additionally, says it confirmed as much with a spokesperson.

The article begins promising “no meagre, nebulous half-sentences from friends. But answers from him! By Michael Schumacher, 54!” according to the . The cover ( via Google Translate) plays coy with the truth, describing the interview as “deceptively real” without making its nature clear.

One of the responses generated by and featured in the piece reads that Schumacher is “much better than years ago. With the help of my team, I can even stand on my own again and even walk a few steps slowly.”

At the fake interview’s conclusion, Die Aktuelle goes so far as to theorize that Schumacher may have even trained Character.ai personally “from the hospital bed,” which is as grossly insensitive as it is demonstrative of a total lack of understanding of how AI models are built at all.

This is far from the first time Die Aktuelle has crafted spurious or ill-natured stories since the accident, as ESPN explains:

In 2014, the magazine posted a picture of Michael and wife Corinna on the front cover, with the headline “Awake”, only for the piece in question to have been about people who have awoken from comas in the past.

The magazine also won a legal case against the Schumachers the next year after a front cover saying “a new love” had entered Corinna’s life, only for the article to be about the couple’s daughter, Gina.

Schumacher’s family has kept his condition private over the last 10 years, only offering a glimpse into the effect the 54-year-old’s condition has had on their lives in a .

In 2016, a lawyer representing the driver from another German publication saying Schumacher was able to walk, while in 2019, ex-Scuderia Ferrari team principal and FIA president that the former driver was making “good progress” but “struggles to communicate.”

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
I Don't Know How To Feel About NASCAR's Chase
I Don't Know How To Feel About NASCAR's Chase
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race started at 10 p.m. ET on Friday night, which is almost past my bedtime. That’s why, when I saw the driver who has dominated this entire season get eliminated from the series’ championship, I thought it was a dream. It really happened. That...
Dec 12, 2025
Weekend Motorsports Roundup, Nov. 12-13, 2016
Weekend Motorsports Roundup, Nov. 12-13, 2016
Welcome to the Jalopnik , where we let you know what’s going on in the world of racing, where you can see it, and where you can talk about it all in one convenient place. Where else would you want to spend your weekend? After a —not dramatic in the...
Dec 12, 2025
Even The Pope Could've Been Renault's Next Formula One Driver
Even The Pope Could've Been Renault's Next Formula One Driver
Current Renault Formula One driver Kevin Magussen is jumping ship to in 2017. Renault may have been able to nail down 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans winner fairly quickly in the silly season, but they waffled so hard on the second seat that Magnussen joked that even the Pope...
Dec 12, 2025
Once Embarrassing Trump NASCAR Truck Is Now 'Victory Truck'
Once Embarrassing Trump NASCAR Truck Is Now 'Victory Truck'
While many wallow in sadness about the election of a racist, sexist person into the highest U.S. office, there will be a celebratory livery on a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series entry next weekend. The Donald Trump liveries—yes, there have been several—have gone from embarrassing to very, very depressing. During...
Dec 12, 2025
Formula One Driver Eats Wall On The Way To The Grid Before Race Even Starts
Formula One Driver Eats Wall On The Way To The Grid Before Race Even Starts
Haas Formula One driver Romain Grosjean already crashed out at a very wet Brazilian Grand Prix. Has the race started yet? Nope! Grosjean went off at Turn 14 at Interlagos on the reconnaissance lap. His car slid into the wall after hitting water that was streaming down a hill on...
Dec 12, 2025
Cringe At The Close Calls And Crashes Of The Super Soaked Brazilian Grand Prix
Cringe At The Close Calls And Crashes Of The Super Soaked Brazilian Grand Prix
Today’s Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix is a very wet race. No one can see. Perfect time to spin out as traffic comes at you, then. Feel the pain of these wet-weather spins and smashes. In case you missed the start, Haas F1 driver Romain Grosjean before race even started,...
Dec 12, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved