Tim Willits, who serves as the chief creative officer at Saber Interactive, weighed in on the controversy sparked by CEO Matthew Karch’s response to allegations that a member of the writing team had been supplanted by an artificial‑intelligence system. The dispute began when Stella Sacco, in August, asserted that she had been the lead writer on Saber’s forthcoming title Rideshare Simulator, only to be “replaced by ChatGPT midway through development.” Karch’s public rebuttal was sharply worded: “Stella who? I had to ask Claude because I have never spoken to her or 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 with her own statement, insisting that everything she said was factual and labeling the CEO’s comment as “remarkably pathetic for the CEO of any company to be making.” The exchange quickly drew attention from the gaming press, and at Gamescom GamesIndustry.biz approached Willits for comment. Willits dismissed Karch’s remarks as sarcasm, emphasizing that the company has never actually substituted a human employee with AI.
“That’s just Matt’s sarcasm, that’s all,” he said, before elaborating on the broader role of generative AI in Saber’s workflow. According to Willits, Saber Interactive does not employ generative‑AI tools to write the core narrative, dialogue, or mission design for any of its existing titles, including Space Marine, Hellraiser, and Stuntman.
“We’ve never replaced anybody with AI. That’s crazy,” he asserted. “We don’t use generative AI in those games at all.” He clarified, however, that the studio is actively experimenting with AI technologies to understand where they might add value in future projects. “We’re still figuring out where in the industry AI will be effective, where players will appreciate it, and where it can actually be useful,” he explained.
Willits pointed specifically to Rideshare Simulator, the game at the center of the controversy. While the main campaign’s story, characters, and dialogue are crafted by a team of human writers, the Steam store page notes that AI tools are employed for voice generation and certain aspects of localization. Additionally, an optional “Free Ride” mode features AI‑generated passenger missions and localized dialogue, and the in‑game radio stations blend both human‑composed and AI‑produced music.
“The AI mode we’re testing is limited to those peripheral elements,” Willits said. “Everything else – the core story, side missions, the narrative beats – are all written by people.” He also addressed rumors that AI might be used in other parts of the development pipeline, such as code, environment creation, or texture generation. “We don’t use generative AI for those production pipelines right now,” Willits confirmed.
“Our artists, programmers, and designers are still doing the heavy lifting the traditional way.” Looking ahead, Willits expressed optimism that a breakthrough use case for AI could emerge, one that would feel so intuitive that both developers and players would instantly recognize its potential. “At some point a developer will come up with a clever, brilliant integration of true modern AI into an experience, and everyone will go, ‘Oh, that’s it.’ That’s how it will finally click for the industry.” He likened the current exploratory phase to the early days of any transformative technology, when people question its purpose and feasibility before it becomes woven into everyday practice.
Willits speculated that the next Gamescom could showcase larger titles that place AI at the forefront of their design. “I bet next year’s Gamescom we’ll have some bigger games actually focusing on AI,” he said. “I’m curious to see how it plays out for us, how it works in our Rideshare game, how people respond, and how we integrate it.
It’s a great experiment.” In summary, while Saber Interactive is testing AI in limited, non‑core capacities – such as voice synthesis, localization, and optional mission generation – the studio maintains that all primary narrative content remains the product of human writers. The company’s official Steam disclosure for Rideshare Simulator reinforces this stance, separating human‑crafted story elements from AI‑assisted auxiliary features. Willits’ comments suggest that Saber views AI as an experimental tool rather than a replacement for creative talent, and that any future, more extensive adoption will depend on discovering use cases that genuinely enhance player experience. The full interview with Willits will be published by GamesIndustry.biz tomorrow.