Magazine Editor Fired Over AI-Generated Michael Schumacher 'Interview'

Notably, Die Aktuelle, had ran a cover story with the headline: "Michael Schumacher, the first interview."

Michael Schumacher's after winning the Belgian Grand Prix on 27th August 1995 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Spa Francorchamps, Belgium.

Source : Getty

In an update on the controversial Michael Scumacher "interview" saga, the editor-in-chief of the German magazine Die Aktuelle was reportedly fired. The Funke media group, which published this tabloid, announced their decision to remove Anne Hoffmann from the post while also issuing an aplogy to the Schumacher family on Friday.

"This tasteless and misleading article should never have appeared. It in no way corresponds to the standards of journalism that we — and our readers — expect from a publisher like Funke," said Bianca Pohlmann, the managing director of Funke magazines, as quoted in a Deutsche Welle report.

In addition, it was confirmed that Hoffmann will be fired from her duties immediately.

Notably, Die Aktuelle, had ran a cover story with the headline: "Michael Schumacher, the first interview." It was described as "sounding deceptively real" and as it turned out the quotes had apparently been generated by AI.

Esto es vergonzoso.

La revista alemana 'Die aktuelle' publicó hace unos días en su portada LA PRIMERA ENTREVISTA A MICHAEL SCHUMACHER TRAS SU ACCIDENTE.

¿Dónde está el truco? Pues que las respuestas de la entrevista se han generado con Inteligencia Artificial. Son falsas. 🤦‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/12yFWST4A8

— #PorQuéTT (@xqTTs) April 19, 2023

Michael Schumacher's family was mulling to take a legal action against this magazine and it is yet to be seen if they go ahead with that step after the publisher's apology and decision to fire their editor-in-chief.

It is worth highlighting that the 54-year-old former motorsports racing driver has not made a public appearance since he sustained a brain injury in a skiing accident on a family holiday in the French Alps nearly a decade ago. Initially, he was in medically induced coma. Not much details have emerged about his present health and medical condition.

"We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he's comfortable, and to simply make him feel our family, our bond," Schumacher's wife Corinna Schumacher had said in a 2021 Netflix documentary.

"Private is private', as he always said. It's very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible. Michael always protected us, and now we are protecting Michael," she added.