Saber denies replacing Rideshare Stimulator’s writers with ChatGPT
The CEO claims the game's story was written entirely by humans except for an experimental mode, drawing fierce pushback from the former lead writer.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Saber Interactive denies firing writers to replace them with AI.
- Former lead writer Stella Sacco claims she was replaced by ChatGPT mid-development.
- The dispute centers around the upcoming driving simulation game Rideshare Stimulator.
Game development company Saber Interactive has pushed back against accusations that it dropped its original writing team in favor of ChatGPT during the development of Rideshare Stimulator. Matthew Karch, the CEO of Saber, insisted that neither Saber nor Unigine has replaced any writers with artificial intelligence for the driving simulation title.
This controversy sparked after Stella Sacco, who served as the former lead writer on the project, published a post on Bluesky stating that she headed the writing for the game before Saber replaced her with ChatGPT midway through development. Sacco also alleged that all passenger voice lines within the game were generated using AI as well.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Saber describes Rideshare Stimulator as an immersive driving game that puts players behind the wheel as rideshare business owners. Segments featured in a teaser trailer released last month appear to include AI-generated writing and audio for simulated passengers, though the game's Steam store page currently lacks any disclosure regarding the use of generative AI.
"The game will also feature an experimental, free-ride mode that by necessity incorporates AI as the number of passengers in the game is infinite."
Matthew Karch, Saber CEO
In a statement provided to the press, Karch elaborated that the studio firmly believes in utilizing AI tools to enhance gameplay experiences and improve NPC behavior, a practice the company has maintained since its founding in 2001. He further noted that despite industry contraction, Saber continues hiring and none of its 3,000-plus employees need to worry about being displaced by AI.
The clash between the game studio and the freelance writer highlights ongoing labor tensions in the modern gaming industry as generative AI becomes integrated into production pipelines. The line between using AI as a creative assistant versus cutting labor costs remains a sensitive ethical issue that demands transparency from developers toward consumers.
In response to Karch's statement, Sacco told reporters that claiming human writers penned the story while admitting computers wrote the text is contradictory. She argued that if her written rides coexist with AI-generated rides, then AI was indeed utilized and she was replaced, matching what Saber allegedly told her back in December 2023.
Source: The Verge
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