Magazine pays 1 million for Schumacher’s AI interview

The German magazine The actualbecause of a questionable attitude to say the least, was ordered to pay the amount of 200 thousand euros (approximately R$1.1 million) to the family of the Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher.

This payment was made after the publication of an interview with the former pilot that was carried out using artificial intelligence. The interview was published in April last year and a title with the words “the first interview” awarded by Schumacher since his tragic accident in 2013.

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Clueless interview

Obviously, the reaction to the magazine’s material was immediate and full of criticism. Many voices were raised in protest, mainly because the disclaimer informing that the article was the result of artificial intelligence was on the last pages of the publication. This meant that many people did not see this “small” detail.

Just the idea of ​​publishing an AI-generated interview is questionable. Anyone with the slightest sense would reject the idea out of hand. But the worst part was the content of the interview. The AI-created “Schumacher” was claimed to be recovering satisfactorily after his skiing accident.

At one point in the “interview” it read: “I’m much better today. Thanks to the unconditional support of my team, I am able to get up and take a few steps, even if they are slow and hesitant.”, declared the “pilot”. The interview continues: “I always hope that things get better little by little. Of course, it’s possible that things will never be the way they were before my injury, but that doesn’t stop me from continuing to fight.”, he concluded the false interview.

Consequences and dismissals

Given the negative repercussions of the episode, the company Funke Media Groupowner of the publication Die Aktuelle, was quick to express regret and take responsibility for what happened.

The organization officially announced that it had fired Anne Hoffmann, who had held the position of editor-in-chief of the magazine since 2009. Additionally, as part of the compensation for the damage caused, the group agreed to pay compensation to Schumacher’s family.

In this context, Bianca Pohlmann, who stands out in her role as executive director of the brand, released an assertive and clear statement:

This misleading article should not have been published. It seriously fails to reflect the rigorous standards of journalism that we hold dear and that our readers have come to expect from our publications. This unacceptable situation led us to act decisively and immediately. As a result, Anne Hoffmann, who had served as editorial chief for more than a decade, was fired.

The real Michael Schumacher

The iconic F1 world champion saw his life change drastically after a skiing accident in the French Alps in December 2013. Since then, his health conditions have been kept secret by his family, who have chosen to share very little information with the public and the press.

This silence about his condition has fueled speculation and rumors over the years. In one of these speculative episodes, the French newspaper Le Parisien mentioned in 2019 that Schumacher was undergoing innovative treatments using stem cells, however, this information was not confirmed by the medical professionals in charge of his recovery or by the members of the Schumacher family themselves. renowned former pilot.

Source: About Media