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Schumacher family plans to sue over fake AI quotes in German magazine

Michael Schumacher's family is planning legal action against German magazine Die Aktuelle for using an artificial intelligence programme to generate fake quotes from the seven-time Formula One champion, sports broadcaster ESPN said Thursday.

Published: 20 April 2023 13:22 CEST

Michael Schumacher

A file photo shows a display in Kerpen, North-Rhine Westphalia that Schumacher fans made in support of him after he went into a coma. Photo: picture alliance / dpa | Marius Becker

The magazine had claimed it had an interview with the motorsport legend — the first since he suffered a serious brain injury in a 2013 skiing accident in the French Alps.

On Wednesday, the magazine published the “interview”, revealing afterwards it had been generated by artificial intelligence.

READ ALSO: FACT CHECK: Is Germany really planning to ban ChatGPT?

The article included quotes attributed to Schumacher, discussing his family life since the accident and his medical condition.

A family spokeswoman confirmed to AFP that they planned legal action, without giving further details.

The family has carefully guarded the 54-year-old’s privacy since the accident. Schumacher has not been seen in public since the injury and little information has been given publicly on his condition.

Reports suggest Schumacher has memory, movement and speech problems and is being cared for at home near Geneva.

“‘Private is private’, as he always said,” Corinna Schumacher, Michael’s wife, said in a 2021 Netflix documentary.

“Michael always protected us and now we are protecting Michael.”

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Schumacher’s seven Formula One titles is equal best alongside Lewis Hamilton. The German recorded 91 Grand Prix victories, second only to Hamilton’s 103.

Michael’s son, Mick, 24, is also a Formula One driver and currently a reserve driver with Mercedes.

READ ALSO: Formula One racing legend not moving to Spanish island, says family

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Bayer Leverkusen win first Bundesliga title, ending Bayern Munich's 11-year run

Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen knew a victory on Sunday would secure the title with five games to spare, and there were no signs of nerves in a dominant performance.

A hat-trick from Florian Wirtz and goals from Victor Boniface and Granit Xhaka extended their unbeaten run to a stunning 43 games in all competitions.

Leverkusen’s maiden title, coming after five second-place finishes in their history, keeps their dream of a remarkable treble alive while shedding their unwanted ‘Neverkusen’ nickname for good.

With 10 minutes to go, the long-suffering fans began making their way to the sidelines and a few jumped the gun, storming the pitch with the match still ongoing.

Incredible scenes as Bayern Leverkusen win the German League for the first time ever in their 120-year history.

They also ended Bayern Munich’s run of 11 consecutive league titles.pic.twitter.com/dsuUWm4NsI

— Tanay Jaipuria (@tanayj) April 15, 2024

Leverkusen’s players ushered the fans back and some obliged, albeit briefly, with the stands swiftly emptying on the 90-minute mark as tearful supporters made their way onto the turf to celebrate with the players.

Leverkusen are now on 79 points – the best tally after 29 games in German league history – and are 16 clear of second-placed Bayern Munich and third-placed Stuttgart.

“It’s impossible to describe. Personally I can’t quite grasp what we did. I needed to go back to the changing room to clear my head,” Wirtz told DAZN after the match.

“We’ve already started the party with the supporters.”

Wirtz, who moved from neighbouring Cologne at the age of 16 and grew up just 20 minutes away in Pulheim, told DAZN he “could not imagine what we would achieve at the start of the season”.

“It was when we started winning some matches, with a dominant style of play, that’s when I realised we could do a little better than just making the Champions League.”

‘Sea of red and black’

The Leverkusen bus arrived at the stadium 90 minutes before kick-off, wading through a sea of fans clad in black and red on the way to the 30,000-capacity BayArena.

Normally known as Bismarck Street, fans had stuck temporary signs saying ‘Xabi Alonso Street’ along the main road in honour of the club’s coach.

Alonso looked ahead to Thursday’s Europa League trip to London to face West Ham, making seven changes to his starting XI and benching stars Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Alex Grimaldo, the latter for the first time in the league this season.

Piero Hincapie, Grimaldo’s replacement, had an early effort at goal saved but it would be the fit-again Boniface, making his first start since mid-December, who put the home side in front.

With 22 minutes gone, Jonas Hofmann was felled in the box by Bremen’s Julian Malatini, with the referee pointing to the spot after VAR urged him to view the contact again on the monitor.

Boniface stepped up and nervelessly slotted the penalty past a helpless Michael Zetterer to send the home fans into raptures.

Hofmann was almost the provider again shortly before half-time, his pass finding Amine Adli who fired against the crossbar.

Bremen started the second-half strongly but their hopes of spoiling the party were snuffed out on the 60-minute mark, Boniface finding Xhaka who unleashed a long-range rocket before slapping his badge in front of the ecstatic home fans.

Wirtz, who came on at half-time for Adli, replicated Xhaka’s effort eight minutes later from almost the same spot on the pitch.

Wirtz added another with seven minutes remaining before sealing his hat-trick in the 90th minute as Leverkusen rid themselves of their nearly men tag in style.

Earlier on Sunday, a 36th-minute goal from Ritsu Doan took Freiburg to a 1-0 win at Darmstadt, pushing the last-placed hosts closer to immediate relegation.

Winless since October and with only two victories all year, the loss leaves Darmstadt dead last, eight points from second-last and 13 points from safety with five games remaining.

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