Key Points
- A German media group has issued an apology over an article featuring AI-generated quotes.
- The magazine's top editor has been "relieved of her duties".
- A spokesperson for the Schumacher family said it was pursuing legal action.
The editor-in-chief of the German tabloid magazine that published a fake AI-generated "interview" with former Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher has been sacked.
Funke media group, which publishes the magazine, also offered an apology to the Schumacher family.
"This tasteless and misleading article should never have appeared," Funke magazine's managing director Bianca Pohlmann said.
"It in no way corresponds to the standards of journalism that we - and our readers - expect from a publisher like Funke."
In a statement on Friday, Funke said Die Aktuelle magazine's top editor Anne Hoffmann had been "relieved of her duties as of today".
Hoffman had overseen the magazine's journalism since 2009.
The story caused controversy and a debate about the perils of artificial intelligence after it was published this week.
The front page of the magazine was a photo of Schumacher, with the headline: "Michael Schumacher: The first interview!"
A smaller headline below read: "It sounds deceptively real."
Inside the magazine, it became clear the tabloid was writing about a fake interview generated by a website that used AI tools.
Most fans would know claims of an interview were entirely fabricated as Schumacher has lived in complete seclusion since he acquired a major brain injury while skiing in 2013.
The accident left him with severe, long-lasting health issues.
He has not been seen in public since the accident. His current health status is unknown.
The "interview" misleadingly suggested Schumacher, 54, had revealed details of his recovery.
Earlier this week, a spokesperson for the Schumacher family, Sabine Kehm, confirmed the family was against the magazine and the website which generated the artificial intelligence material.
In 2021, Schumacher's wife said the family has respected Michael's wish for privacy.
"'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," Corinna Schumacher said in the Netflix documentary entitled Schumacher.
"Michael always protected us, and now we are protecting Michael."
