Saber Interactive has taken the step of appending an artificial‑intelligence disclaimer to the Steam store listing for its upcoming title, Rideshare Simulator, after a wave of controversy erupted surrounding claims that the company had dismissed a human writer in favor of machine‑generated text. The situation began when former employee Stella Sacco, who served as a writer on the project from July 2023 until July 2024, publicly alleged that she was removed from the development team midway through production and that her responsibilities were subsequently handed over to ChatGPT. Sacco also hinted at additional, undisclosed uses of AI throughout the game's creation, prompting a heated debate within the gaming community about the ethics of replacing human creativity with algorithms.
In response to the growing uproar, Saber’s chief executive officer, Matt Karch, issued a statement that both defended the company’s decisions and offered a retrospective view on the role of AI in the project. Karch claimed that Sacco was "replaced by someone more talented and terminated for a variety of reasons a few months later," and he added, "in retrospect I would have been happy to replace her with AI." The CEO’s remarks suggested that the company had already been employing artificial‑intelligence tools for certain aspects of the game, and that the Steam disclaimer would be updated once the final feature set was locked down.
During an interview with the podcast This Week In Videogames, Karch further downplayed the controversy, saying, "Stella who? I had to ask Claude because I have never spoken to her or seen her." He emphasized that the AI components were intended to be a benefit for consumers, especially given that Rideshare Simulator is positioned as a lower‑priced title. "We look at our use of AI in this particular game, which will be a lower priced title, as a plus for consumers," he asserted, framing the technology as a cost‑saving measure that would ultimately lower the price point for players.
The dispute escalated when Sacco posted on the social platform BlueSky over the weekend, noting that Karch had "apologised unreservedly for the awful way he spoke about me in the press." She wrote, "I've been firm from the beginning that I was telling the truth; I think we can all now agree that it's been borne out. Matt expressed a desire to make it right with me; at this time I don't really know what that looks like for me, and I'll have to take some time to sit with it, but I do at least accept his apology." Her statement highlighted both the personal impact of the public exchange and her willingness to consider reconciliation, albeit with an undefined path forward. Karch later posted a separate comment on LinkedIn, attempting to explain his earlier reaction. "I unfortunately got triggered by certain later comments (for reasons I won't get into) and shot first and thought second about how to respond," he wrote.
"It happens and I am a human being. I have done what I can to rectify." This admission of impulsivity was intended to humanize his response, acknowledging that his initial reply was driven more by emotion than measured consideration.
The addition of the AI disclaimer on Steam is a concrete step that reflects the broader industry conversation about transparency when machine‑learning tools are used in game development. By publicly acknowledging the presence of AI‑generated content, Saber hopes to mitigate concerns from players who value authentic, human‑crafted narratives.
The disclaimer reads in full: "This update follows comments from Saber CEO Matt Karch regarding writer Stella Sacco, who worked at Saber from July 2023 to July 2024, and stated she was removed from Rideshare midway through development and replaced with ChatGPT, while alleging other then‑unannounced use of AI in the game's development." The controversy has sparked several broader questions that extend beyond this single title. First, it raises the issue of how studios should credit and compensate writers when portions of their work are supplemented—or wholly replaced—by AI. Second, it forces the industry to confront the ethical implications of using large language models to generate dialogue, mission briefs, or marketing copy without clear disclosure to the audience. Third, it highlights the need for clear internal policies that balance efficiency gains from AI with the preservation of creative jobs.
From a consumer perspective, many players have expressed both curiosity and concern. Some argue that AI can accelerate development cycles and allow smaller studios to produce richer experiences at lower costs, while others fear a homogenization of storytelling and a loss of the nuanced voice that human writers bring.
The Steam disclaimer, while brief, serves as a signal that Saber is aware of these concerns and is willing to be transparent about its workflow. In the weeks ahead, the company plans to update the Steam page once the feature set for Rideshare Simulator is finalized, indicating that the AI components may evolve as development progresses. This could involve expanding AI usage to procedural generation of traffic patterns, dynamic weather systems, or even adaptive player dialogue.
However, the core narrative and mission design are still expected to involve human oversight, according to statements from the development team. Overall, the episode underscores the delicate balance that modern game developers must strike between leveraging cutting‑edge technology and maintaining the human creativity that has traditionally defined the medium. While Matt Karch’s apology and the subsequent AI disclaimer may help to calm the immediate storm, the conversation about AI’s role in gaming is far from settled, and Rideshare Simulator will likely serve as a case study for how studios navigate this evolving landscape.