Saber Interactive CEO denies AI replacement of lead writer on Rideshare Simulator
Saber Interactive CEO Matt Karch refuted claims that former lead writer Stella Sacco was replaced by ChatGPT, stating the script was written by human staff and that any AI use will be disclosed on the game's Steam page.
Saber Interactive's chief executive Matt Karch said the company did not replace lead writer Stella Sacco with an artificial-intelligence system on the upcoming title Rideshare Simulator. In a statement to a video-games news outlet, Karch asserted that Sacco had breached a confidentiality agreement and was subsequently replaced by another writer before being terminated for unrelated reasons. He added that the studio uses AI for certain game elements and will update the Steam store page once the feature set is finalised.
"We are touting this experimental mode as a feature, not shying away from it," Karch said.
Sacco, who listed herself as Saber’s lead writer from July 2023 to July 2024 on professional networking sites, claimed she was removed from the project and that the game's passenger dialogue was generated by ChatGPT. She warned Karch that players disliked AI-generated content and said the decision proceeded despite her objections.
Saber responded to the allegations in a separate comment to a gaming publication, stating that no writers had been replaced by AI on Rideshare Simulator or any other title, and that the studio’s writing staff had grown since 2023. The company described the AI component as an "experimental, free-ride mode" that requires AI to handle an unlimited number of in-game passengers, emphasizing its long-standing use of AI tools to enhance gameplay.
Sacco reiterated her account on social media, maintaining that she was taken off the project and that ChatGPT was used to produce the remaining text, including planned live updates. The game's Steam page currently lacks an AI disclosure, despite platform requirements for developers to flag generative-AI content that reaches players directly.