– Michael Schumacher’s family awarded €200,000 in compensation from Die Aktuelle
– Die Aktuelle published an AI-generated ‘interview’ with Schumacher, sparking outrage
– Controversial incidents involving non-consensual AI-generated material like the Schumacher case raise ethical concerns and legal action from affected parties.
The family of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher was awarded €200,000 in compensation from the publishers of Die Aktuelle for printing an AI-generated ‘interview’ with Schumacher in April 2023. The controversial article featured supposed quotes from Schumacher, discussing his health and family life following a severe head injury in 2013. Schumacher’s family has kept his medical condition private since the accident, emphasizing the importance of privacy in a 2021 Netflix documentary.
The AI-generated ‘interview’ sparked outrage, leading to Funke Media Group, the publishers of Die Aktuelle, apologizing to the family and firing the magazine’s editor-in-chief. Non-consensual AI-generated material has been a controversial issue, with other instances such as the estate of George Carlin suing creators of an AI-generated fake comedy show and Zelda Williams speaking out against someone using AI to mimic her late father Robin Williams’ voice.
The controversial use of AI to create fake content raises serious ethical concerns, with a University of Cambridge study exploring hypothetical situations where it could cause harm to people and society. The Schumacher case serves as a warning for people and publishers to be cautious when using sensitive AI-generated material in the future.