--- title: "Michael Schumacher’s Family Wins Settlement After Fake AI Interview" description: "The owner of German paper Die Aktuelle will pay $217,000 for running an \"interview\" with the F1 legend using AI-generated responses." date: "2024-05-23" modified: "2024-05-23" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/michael-schumachers-family-gets-settlement-after-fake-ai-interview" categories: - "F1" - "News" - "Racing" --- # Michael Schumacher’s Family Wins Settlement After Fake AI Interview ![]() *Corinna (left) and Mick (right) Schumacher. Getty* Last year, German magazine *Die Aktuelle* ran a purported interview with seven-time Formula 1 world champion [Michael Schumacher](). Of course, Schumacher has been recovering privately from a traumatic brain injury sustained during a skiing accident in 2013 and hasn't made a public appearance or interview since. So how did the magazine get an "interview" with the recovering F1 legend? By generating the entire thing with AI, and playing more than a little coy with that respect. The Schumacher family inevitably sued the publication, and both sides just reached a settlement. According to *[Autosport]()*, the settlement was reached with Funke media group, the parent company of *Die Aktuelle*, for $217,000 (200,000 euros). The original article was advertised as an exclusive interview and [featured AI-generated responses]() that claimed Schumacher was "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." Cruelly, not only did *Die Aktuelle* avoid disclosing all of it was AI-generated until the end of the piece, but it also claimed that the AI's responses were so uncanny, it may have even been trained by Schumacher himself. Almost immediately after the magazine ran the issue, Funke apologized and unsurprisingly fired *Die Aktuelle's* editor-in-chief. ![]() **Getty** "This tasteless and misleading article should never have appeared," said Funke managing director Bianca Pohlmann at the time. "As a result of the publication of this article, immediate personnel consequences will be drawn. *Die Aktuelle* editor-in-chief Anne Hoffmann, who has held journalistic responsibility for the paper since 2009, will be relieved of her duties as of today." The Schumacher family has been extremely private about Michael's recovery. While the family revealed some information in the [2021 Netflix documentary *Schumacher*](), it refrained from sharing more specific details about the champ's state. You can imagine the shock his loved ones felt over a fake interview that claimed Michael was walking on his own. In media, artificial intelligence is typically depicted as either a planet-saving or planet-destroying technology. In reality, though, people seem to enjoy using it for petty, gross, money-making purposes like this. Thankfully, the ordeal is over, and hopefully it'll dissuade other unscrupulous outlets from trying similarly tasteless tricks. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()