Saber Interactive CEO Denies Replacing Writer With ChatGPT

A public dispute has erupted between Saber Interactive and former lead writer Stella Sacco over the use of generative AI in the upcoming game Rideshare Stimulator. Sacco alleges she was removed from the project in December 2023 and replaced by ChatGPT to write the remaining text and passenger voices, claiming CEO Matthew Karch viewed the move as a marketing opportunity.

CEO Matthew Karch initially denied the allegations, asserting that the game's story was written entirely by humans and that neither Saber nor developer Unigine replaced writers with AI. He acknowledged that AI is used exclusively for an experimental free-ride mode to generate an infinite number of passengers. Karch later escalated the conflict by claiming he had never spoken to Sacco and that she was actually replaced by a more talented writer before being terminated for other reasons. He further alleged that Sacco violated a confidentiality agreement by naming the project.

Sacco has dismissed Karch's claims as nonsense and pathetic, maintaining that the use of AI for any part of the text constitutes her replacement. The controversy has drawn scrutiny to the game's Steam page, where users have noted a lack of the AI disclosures mandated by the platform's rules. Karch has since stated that in retrospect, he would have been happy to replace Sacco with AI, arguing that the technology would be more honest.