The director of the magazine that published the false interview with Schumacher, was fired

The media group Funke suddenly fired Anne Hoffmann, the editor of the magazine “Die Aktuelle” which published an alleged interview with seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher with answers provided by an artificial intelligence program.

In addition, the group, through a statement published on its website, apologized and said that the article should not have been published.

“This tasteless and confusing article should not have been published.“said the group’s magazine manager, Bianca Pohlmann.

“It does not meet the standard of journalism that we and our readers expect from a publisher like Funke,” he added.

“Michael Schumacher. The first interview. A global sensation“, says the magazine on the cover with a picture of a large portrait of the former pilot.

In a smaller text it says it “looks deceptively real” and within the publication it is indicated that the interview was conducted through an artificial intelligence program.

That hint is easy for the interview reader to miss who titled “My life has completely changed”.

In a photo caption, ambiguity is played out about whether this is a real interview in which Schumacher “gives answers for the first time since his skiing accident” or “is our Schumi really the talking?”

Since his accident, Schumacher has been confined to his home in Switzerland and the family provides little information about his state of health.

There is an agreement among the majority of the German media that their privacy and that of their family will be respected, which, however, is not shared by some tabloid publications such as “Die Aktuelle”.

The special media blog “Ubermedien” notes that the magazine “always tries to give the impression that this is a real conversation with Michael Schumacher.”

The Schumacher family has filed a lawsuit against the post.