Schumacher's family wins compensation for AI 'interview'

Michael Schumacher's family has been awarded 200,000 euros (£170,212) compensation from the publishers of a magazine which printed an artificial intelligence-generated 'interview' with the former Formula 1 driver.

German publication Die Aktuelle ran a picture of Schumacher on the front cover of its edition in April 2023.

Underneath the headline of "Michael Schumacher, the first interview" read a strapline of "it sounded deceptively real" and it emerged in the article that the supposed quotes had been produced by AI.

Schumacher, 55, has not been seen in public since suffering severe head injuries in a skiing accident in December 2013.

A family spokesperson confirmed the judgement against Funke media group, the publishers of the magazine, to news agency Reuters.

The editor of Die Aktuelle was sacked two days after the article was published, with Funke media apologising to the family.

Schumacher was placed into an induced coma after his skiing accident and was brought home in September 2014, with his medical condition since kept private by his family.

His tally of seven F1 titles, won during spells with Benetton and Ferrari, is a record jointly shared with Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.