Tim Willits, the chief creative officer at Saber Interactive, stepped in to comment on the heated exchange that erupted after CEO Matthew Karch responded to allegations that a member of the studio’s writing team had been replaced by an artificial‑intelligence system. The controversy began in August when Stella Sacco, who identified herself as the lead writer for Saber’s forthcoming title Rideshare Simulator, posted that the company had "replaced me with ChatGPT midway through development." Karch’s reply was blunt and sarcastic: "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 a terse statement, insisting that everything she had said was accurate and calling Karch’s response "remarkably pathetic for the CEO of any company to be making." The dispute quickly attracted attention from the gaming press, and GamesIndustry.biz seized the opportunity to ask Willits for his perspective at Gamescom.
Willits brushed off the CEO’s sarcasm, describing it as "just Matt’s sarcasm, that’s all." He then pivoted to the core issue that the public seemed most concerned about: the use of AI in the studio’s creative workflow. "The bottom line is that we have never replaced a human being with AI," he said.
"That would be insane. In fact, none of the narrative work on Space Marine, Hellraiser, Stuntman or any of our other titles has been generated by a machine. All of those stories, side‑quests, character dialogue – everything – was written by people." Willits acknowledged, however, that Saber Interactive is actively experimenting with generative AI technologies, but he stressed that these experiments are limited to specific, well‑defined use cases rather than wholesale substitution of staff. He explained that the company is still trying to map out where AI can add genuine value in game development, what players will appreciate, and which parts of the pipeline can benefit without compromising creative integrity.
Regarding Rideshare Simulator, Willits noted that the game’s Steam page includes a clear disclosure about the role of AI. The main campaign’s story, characters, and dialogue were crafted by a team of human writers, while AI tools were employed for voice synthesis and certain aspects of localization. An optional "Free Ride" mode does feature AI‑generated passenger missions and localized dialogue, and the in‑game radio stations blend human‑composed tracks with music produced by AI algorithms. This nuanced approach, he argued, illustrates a responsible integration of AI: the core narrative experience remains human‑driven, while ancillary content can be enhanced by machine‑generated elements.
When pressed about the broader production pipeline, Willits affirmed that Saber does not currently use generative AI for core assets such as code, level design, or texture creation. "We’re not feeding a neural net to write our gameplay systems or to paint our environments," he said.
"Those are still very much handcrafted by our engineers and artists." Looking ahead, Willits expressed optimism that a truly breakthrough application of AI will eventually emerge, one that feels so natural and compelling that the industry will collectively recognize its potential. He likened the current stage of AI adoption to earlier technological revolutions: "When a new tool first appears, people ask, ‘What are we going to do with this? How does it fit into our workflow?’ Over time, we discover the sweet spots where it becomes part of everyday practice." He speculated that by next year’s Gamescom, larger titles may showcase more ambitious AI integrations, and he hinted that Saber’s own Rideshare Simulator could serve as a testbed for those ideas. "It’s a great experiment," he said, adding that the team is eager to see how players react to AI‑augmented missions and whether the technology can enhance immersion without diluting the human touch that defines good storytelling.
In summary, while the public dispute between Sacco and Karch sparked a flurry of headlines, Willits’s comments suggest that Saber Interactive remains committed to preserving human authorship for its core content. The studio is cautiously exploring AI where it can complement, rather than replace, the creative talent that drives its games. The full interview with GamesIndustry.biz provides further details on the company’s stance and future plans.