GermanyMedia and entertainment2023Funke Mediengruppe
AI-generated Michael Schumacher interview in Die Aktuelle
Funke repudiated an AI-generated Schumacher interview and later paid compensation
Problem
Die Aktuelle promoted a purported exclusive interview with Michael Schumacher on its cover. AI-generated answers supplied the interview content, with their artificial origin disclosed inside the article.
Approach
The magazine published the article in April 2023. Schumacher's family announced legal action, and Funke publicly apologized, called the article misleading and dismissed the editor responsible. In May 2024, the family confirmed a settlement under which Funke paid compensation. The publisher said the article should never have appeared and did not meet its journalistic standards.
Results
Takeaway
Disclosure inside the article did not reconcile the fabricated answers with the cover's promise of an interview. Funke's response included editorial accountability and compensation after publication.
Categories
- Size
- Large enterprise
- Industry
- Media and entertainment
- Business function
- Internal work and knowledge management
- Innovation type
- Product and service innovation
- AI technology
- Generative AIConversational and voice AI
- Adoption
- Off-the-shelf tool or platform
- Evidence
- Press reporting
Sources
Source summaries
Reuters reported the cover's interview claim, the AI-generated quotations and the family's planned legal action. It quoted Funke's apology and announcement that the editor would be relieved of her duties.
The report said the family confirmed the settlement to ESPN and that Funke paid EUR 200,000. It also described the article's late disclosure that the interview was fabricated using AI.
Full details are in the original sources.
