Saber Interactive has now appended an artificial‑intelligence disclaimer to the Steam store page for its title Rideshare Simulator after a wave of criticism erupted over claims that the company had dismissed a human writer in favor of machine‑generated text. The notice, which appears prominently on the game’s storefront, is intended to clarify the studio’s current stance on AI usage and to address the controversy that has surrounded the development process. The full text of the disclaimer reads as follows: "This update follows remarks made by Saber Interactive CEO Matt Karch concerning former writer Stella Sacco, who was employed by the studio from July 2023 until July 2024. Sacco has alleged that she was removed from the Rideshare project midway through its development cycle and that her responsibilities were subsequently taken over by ChatGPT, along with other undisclosed AI tools used during the creation of the game." In his public response, Karch claimed that Sacco "was replaced by someone more talented and terminated for a variety of reasons a few months later," and added, "In hindsight I would have been comfortable replacing her with AI." He went on to say, "Stella who?
I had to ask Claude because I have never spoken to her or seen her," during an interview with the podcast This Week In Videogames. The CEO also noted, "We have already announced that we are employing AI for certain aspects of the game and will update the Steam page once we have finalized the feature set." Karch framed the use of artificial intelligence in the lower‑priced title as a consumer benefit, stating, "We view our AI integration in this particular game as a value‑add for players." He suggested that leveraging AI could streamline development, reduce costs, and potentially allow the team to allocate resources toward other improvements, such as polishing gameplay mechanics and expanding content. The situation escalated when Sacco posted on the social networking platform BlueSky over the weekend, describing Karch's behavior as "unreservedly apologetic 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." Karch, in turn, issued a separate statement on LinkedIn, acknowledging his emotional reaction. He wrote, "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.
It happens and I am a human being. I have done what I can to rectify." The controversy touches on broader industry debates about the role of AI in creative fields. While some developers argue that AI can handle repetitive tasks—such as generating placeholder text, basic asset creation, or testing scenarios—others worry that reliance on machine‑generated content could marginalize human writers, artists, and designers.
Critics of Saber Interactive’s approach contend that replacing a dedicated writer with a language model not only undermines the value of human storytelling but also raises ethical questions about transparency, credit, and compensation. From a legal perspective, the use of AI-generated text in commercial products is still a gray area. Copyright law in many jurisdictions does not yet clearly define who owns the output of an AI system, especially when the system is trained on publicly available data. This ambiguity can create risk for studios that incorporate AI without clear agreements or disclosures.
By adding the disclaimer, Saber Interactive appears to be pre‑emptively addressing potential liability and aiming to keep consumers informed about the provenance of the game's narrative elements. The apology from Karch also highlights a common pattern in corporate communications: leaders sometimes react impulsively to criticism, then later attempt to mitigate damage through public statements.
In this case, Karch’s admission that he "shot first and thought second" suggests a recognition that his initial response may have been overly defensive or dismissive. By acknowledging his human fallibility, he hopes to rebuild trust with both the former employee and the broader gaming community.
Industry observers note that the incident could serve as a cautionary tale for other studios navigating AI integration. Transparency, clear internal policies, and respectful treatment of staff are essential to avoid similar fallout. Companies might consider establishing guidelines that specify when AI can replace human labor, how credit should be assigned, and what communication strategies should be employed if disputes arise.
In summary, Saber Interactive’s decision to place an AI disclaimer on the Steam page for Rideshare Simulator reflects an effort to address public concerns after allegations that a human writer was ousted in favor of ChatGPT. CEO Matt Karch has publicly apologized to former writer Stella Sacco, acknowledging that his reaction to criticism was hasty.
The episode underscores the ongoing tension between technological efficiency and the preservation of human creative contributions within the video‑game industry, and it may prompt other developers to adopt more transparent practices regarding AI usage.