After Schumacher “KI interview”: publisher fires editor-in-chief

It was perhaps the most cynical use of an AI chatbot to date: the gossip newspaper “Die Aktuell” recently published an alleged “interview” with Michael Schumacher and sold it as real on the cover. But it wasn’t, and that has consequences.

Last week, the de facto fake “interview” with Michael Schumacher caused excitement and outrage. Because “The Current” used a chatbot to simulate the answers of the Formula 1 star. It was mentioned that an AI is used here, but only in the small print.

The article and above all its presentation were a bit too much of a good thing or a lie, even for the gossip magazines used to rioting. With consequences: Because shortly after the publication of the cover page and story, the Schumacher family announced that they wanted to take action against it.

The current one and also the publisher, the Funke media group, have so far taken their time with a reaction and an apology. But now both are there. Because Funke writes in one communicationthat one would like to apologize to the Schumacher family for the reporting: “This tasteless and misleading article should never have appeared. It in no way meets the standards of journalism that we – and our readers – expect from a publisher like Expect Funke,” says Bianca Pohlmann, who is responsible for the magazine business at Funke.

The publisher announced that it was parting ways with Anne Hoffmann, the editor-in-chief responsible. She was relieved of her duties with immediate effect.

Preach water, drink wine

However, it is fair to say that Hoffmann is a pawn sacrifice. Because the “system” of the tabloids at Funke is unchanged. The journalist and Übermedien co-founder Boris Rosenkranz shows that in principle nothing, absolutely nothing, has changed.

Because the current issue of the magazine “Das Goldene Blatt” has a Schumacher cover again. The lead is again very misleading: “Happy jubilation – nobody expected that”. Rosenkranz then quotes from the edition: “(…) almost ten years after his dramatic skiing accident, Michael Schumacher (54) can still rely on his family. Even more: the cohesion seems even greater than ever. So I guess no one expected it.” The source is an interview that Corinna Schumacher gave in 2021, in a documentary.

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