Saber Interactive has recently updated the Steam store page for its title Rideshare Simulator to include a clear disclaimer about the use of artificial intelligence in the game's development. This move comes after a heated dispute that erupted when a former employee, writer Stella Sacco, alleged that the company had dismissed her from the project and substituted her contributions with text generated by ChatGPT, as well as hinted at additional, undisclosed AI involvement throughout the creation of the simulation.
The full wording of the new AI disclaimer reads as follows: "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 notice is intended to provide transparency for players who may be concerned about the extent to which machine‑generated content influences the narrative, dialogue, and marketing copy associated with the game. When the controversy first broke, Karch responded publicly, claiming that Sacco had been "replaced by someone more talented and terminated for a variety of reasons a few months later," and adding, in hindsight, that "I would have been happy to replace her with AI." He further emphasized his lack of personal interaction with Sacco, stating, "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. Karch also reiterated that the studio was already employing AI tools for certain aspects of the title and promised to update the Steam page once the final feature set was locked down. "We view our use of AI in this particular game, which will be a lower‑priced title, as a benefit for consumers," Karch said, framing the technology as a cost‑saving measure that could potentially lower the retail price for players.
This perspective sparked further debate among industry observers, many of whom questioned whether AI‑generated content could ever truly replace the nuanced storytelling that human writers bring to interactive experiences. The dispute took another turn 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." In a separate statement posted on LinkedIn, Karch offered a more personal reflection on the episode. "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 admitted. "It happens and I am a human being.
I have done what I can to rectify." His acknowledgment of a reactive, emotionally driven response was met with mixed reactions; some praised the candor, while others felt the apology fell short of addressing the core issue of AI substitution for a human writer. The broader conversation around AI in game development has intensified in recent months. Developers across the industry are experimenting with language models to generate dialogue, procedural quests, and even entire story arcs. Proponents argue that AI can accelerate production cycles, reduce costs, and enable smaller studios to produce content that would otherwise be beyond their resources.
Critics, however, warn that reliance on machine‑generated text may erode the quality of narrative, diminish employment opportunities for writers, and raise ethical concerns about attribution and transparency. In Saber Interactive's case, the controversy underscores the delicate balance between leveraging cutting‑edge technology and maintaining trust with both staff and the gaming community.
By adding the AI disclaimer, the company signals an attempt to be more forthcoming about its workflows, yet the incident also serves as a cautionary tale about how quickly internal decisions can become public flashpoints when communication breaks down. Looking ahead, the industry is likely to see more formal guidelines and perhaps even regulatory frameworks governing AI usage in creative media.
Studios may need to develop clear policies that outline when and how AI tools are employed, ensure proper credit is given, and provide safeguards for employees whose roles could be impacted. For players, increased transparency can foster informed choices about the games they support, especially as the line between human‑crafted and AI‑augmented content continues to blur. In summary, Saber Interactive's addition of an AI disclaimer to the Rideshare Simulator Steam page reflects a response to a dispute that involved allegations of a writer being replaced by a language model, a public apology from CEO Matt Karch, and a broader industry dialogue about the role of artificial intelligence in game creation. The episode highlights the importance of clear communication, ethical considerations, and the need for balanced integration of emerging technologies within the creative process.