Tim Willits, the chief creative officer at Saber Interactive, weighed in on the controversy sparked by CEO Matthew Karch’s response to allegations that a staff writer had been replaced by an artificial‑intelligence system. The dispute began when former lead writer Stella Sacco publicly claimed in August that she had been the primary author for Saber’s upcoming title, Rideshare Simulator, only to be “replaced by ChatGPT halfway through development.” Karch’s reply was sharply worded: “Stella who?
I had to ask Claude because I’ve never spoken to her or even seen her… As far as Stella is concerned, she was replaced by someone more talented and terminated for a variety of reasons a few months later.” Sacco fired back, insisting her statements were accurate and labeling Karch’s comment as “remarkably pathetic for the CEO of any company to be making.” The exchange caught the attention of GamesIndustry.biz, which approached Willits at Gamescom for comment. Willits dismissed Karch’s remark as “just Matt’s sarcasm, that’s all,” and then moved to the core of the issue: “The important thing is that we’ve never replaced anybody with AI. That’s crazy. We don’t use generative AI in Space Marine, Hellraiser, Stuntman, or any of our other projects.” He clarified that while Saber Interactive is actively experimenting with AI, the company has not yet integrated it into core creative pipelines such as story writing, level design, or asset creation.
“We’re still figuring out where AI can add real value, where players will appreciate it, and what use‑cases make sense,” Willits said. He noted that the announced Rideshare Simulator includes an experimental “AI mode,” but emphasized that the main campaign, its characters, and dialogue were all crafted by human writers. Even the side missions, according to Willits, were penned by people, not algorithms. The Steam store page for Rideshare Simulator provides a nuanced disclosure.
It states that the primary campaign narrative, characters, and spoken lines were authored by a team of human writers, while AI tools were employed for voice synthesis and certain localization tasks. Additionally, the optional “Free Ride” mode features AI‑generated passenger missions and localized dialogue, and the in‑game radio stations blend music created by humans with tracks produced by AI.
Willits further explained that Saber does not currently rely on generative AI for technical production elements such as code, environment construction, or texture generation. “We’re not feeding AI into our pipelines for those parts of the game,” he said. However, he expressed optimism that a breakthrough use case could emerge, one that would demonstrate a compelling, “clever and brilliant” integration of modern AI into gameplay.
He likened the situation to the early days of any new technology: people initially wonder how it might be used, then gradually discover practical applications that become part of everyday workflows. Looking ahead, Willits speculated that the next Gamescom could showcase larger titles that make more extensive use of AI. “I think we’ll have some bigger games that actually focus on it,” he predicted, adding that he was eager to see how AI functions within Saber’s own Rideshare Simulator and how the gaming community reacts.
He described the current AI experiments as “a great experiment” and indicated that the company will continue to monitor player feedback and technical feasibility before committing to deeper integration. In summary, while Saber Interactive acknowledges the presence of AI tools in peripheral aspects of Rideshare Simulator—such as voice generation, localization, and optional mission creation—the core creative work remains firmly in human hands. The company’s leadership, represented by Willits, insists that no writer has been supplanted by an algorithm and that any AI usage is strictly experimental at this stage.
The full interview with Willits will be published by GamesIndustry.biz tomorrow, offering further insight into Saber’s cautious yet curious approach to emerging AI technologies in game development.