Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch disputes claims by a former lead writer that the company replaced human staff with AI for its upcoming game, Rideshare Stimulator.

Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch has denied allegations that the company replaced human writers with AI for its new game, Rideshare Stimulator. The denial follows claims from former lead writer Stella Sacco, who stated on Bluesky that she was replaced by ChatGPT midway through the game's development. Sacco further alleged that passenger dialogue in the game is AI-generated, a feature not currently disclosed on the game’s Steam store page.

Company Response and AI Usage

In a statement to The Verge, Karch asserted that neither Saber nor developer Unigine has replaced any writers with AI. He explained that the game includes an experimental free-ride mode that utilizes AI to manage an infinite number of passengers. Karch stated that the company uses AI tools to enhance gameplay and NPC behavior, a practice he noted has been in place since Saber was founded in 2001. He also emphasized that none of the company's 3,000-plus employees are at risk of being replaced by AI.

Writer's Rebuttal

Sacco challenged Karch's statement, arguing that the company is attempting to claim both that human writers wrote the story and that computers generated the text. She maintained that she was informed by Saber in December 2023 that she was being replaced. Sacco asserted that if the game contains a mix of her writing and AI-generated content, then her work was effectively replaced by AI.