A German magazine has been slammed as ‘stupid’ after they promoted an ‘exclusive interview’ with Michael Schumacher on the front cover of their latest edition – only to later reveal the fake quotes were generated via Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Schumacher had a skiing accident in December 2013 and was put in a medically induced coma. He hasn’t appeared publicly ever since.
The former Formula One driver – who won seven world championships – is cared for by a team of medical staff, and his wife Corinna, at their Lake Geneva home.
A secrecy remains about his condition and so heads turned when German magazine Die Aktuelle revealed an ‘exclusive interview’ with the stricken driver.
The front cover, dated April 15, 2023, included the exclusive tag, as well as a picture of a smiling Schumacher. They went on to claim it is ‘the first interview’ he has given since his skiing accident.
German mag Die Aktuelle claimed to have an ‘exclusive interview’ with Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher (pictured in 2005) hasn’t been in public since a skiing accident in 2013
The Schumacher family are very protective of his privacy and so there was immediately questions asked, particularly given the ‘it sounds deceptively real’ tag that also appeared on the cover.
The article opens: ‘Talk to him once. Ask him how he’s really doing. And finally got answers almost 10 years after his tragic skiing accident.
‘No meagre, nebulous half-sentences from friends. But answers from him! By Michael Schumacher, 54!
‘Here it is — the incredible interview! With redeeming answers to the most burning questions that the whole world has been asking for so long.’
The article, which does not feature a byline, continues before ending with an admission that the quotes are in fact fake and they have not spoken to Schumacher or anyone in the family.
‘Did Michael Schumacher really say everything himself? The interview was online. On a page that has to do with artificial intelligence, or AI for short,’ the now widely derided piece concludes.
Immediately F1 fans condemned the magazine for its ‘lack of decency’ and the ‘shame’ in purpoting to have spoken to Schumacher.
German media expert Boris Rosenkranz wrote a comment piece labelling the stunt ‘Too stupid to be true’.
They would eventually detail that the quotes had been generated by Artificial Intelligence
Schumacher’s wife Corinna (pictured together skiing in 2005) has kept his condition private
It is the same magazine that Corinna Schumacher attempted to claim a €50,000 (£42,300) payout from in 2015, before losing the court battle.
In 2015 the magazine used a picture of Corinna on the front cover with the headline: ‘Corinna Schumacher – a new love makes her happy.’
The story was actually about her daughter, Gina Maria, and the family lawyer, Felix Damm, filed a lawsuit claiming the front page was misleading. It was eventually dismissed.
A year prior the magazine had a photo of Michael and Corinna on the front cover with the headline ‘Awake’ – which drew widespread criticism.
The headline had no relation to Schumacher but was instead on the subject of other individuals who had woken up from a coma. Nonetheless it was condemned as being tasteless.
Last month, Eddie Jordan claimed Schumacher’s wife Corinna has lived ‘like a prisoner’ to keep his condition secret.
Jordan revealed last year that his plans to visit Schumacher had been vetoed by the family.
In a rare interview for a documentary on Michael’s life, Corinna opened up on her situation
In 2014 the magazine was criticised for having the headline ‘Awake’ over a picture of Schumacher and wife Corinna. It transpired the headline was nothing to do with Schumacher and was instead about other people who had woken up from a coma
Corinna has shunned speaking publicly about her husband but did shed some light on her struggles in a documentary on his life which aired in 2022.
‘Michael is here. Different, but he’s here, and that gives us strength, I find,’ Corinna said previously.
‘We’re together. 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.
‘And no matter what, I will do everything I can. We all will. We’re trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives.
‘”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.’
Schumacher is one of the most successful F1 drivers of all time, having claimed seven world titles – 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004.
He also added 71 fastest laps and 155 podiums to his name during his iconic racing career.
Eddie Jordan (right) claims Schumacher’s wife Corinna (left) lives ‘like a prisoner’ as she tries to keep the condition of her husband private following a skiing accident in 2013
Mick Schumacher (left), with his mother Corinna (right) and sister Gina-Maria (middle)
His son Mick is now a reserve driver for Mercedes, having been let go from Haas F1 last summer.
In 2019 the Schumacher family released an update on his 50th birthday assuring his millions of fans they are doing ‘everything humanly possible’ to help him recover.
In 2020 it was claimed he was set to undergo stem cell surgery – only for it to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In September last year Zurich-based neurology specialist Professor Erich Riederer told a documentary for French TV channel TMC he doubted the racing legend would ever fully recover.
He said: ‘I think he’s in a vegetative state, which means he’s awake but not responding. He is breathing, his heart is beating, he can probably sit up and take baby steps with help, but no more.’