Saber Interactive has recently updated the Steam storefront for its title Rideshare Simulator to include a formal AI usage disclaimer. This move comes after a heated debate ignited by accusations that the studio had dismissed a writer working on the project in favor of employing artificial‑intelligence‑generated text.
The new notice aims to clarify the company’s stance on AI integration and to address the concerns raised by former staff and the broader gaming community. The full 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 statement acknowledges the controversy and signals that the studio is taking steps to be transparent about its development practices. According to the public record, Stella Sacco joined Saber Interactive in mid‑2023 as a lead writer for Rideshare Simulator, a simulation game that aims to capture the day‑to‑day experience of rideshare drivers.
Sacco claims that midway through the game's production she was abruptly taken off the project and that her responsibilities were handed over to an AI language model, specifically ChatGPT. In addition to this claim, she alleged that other aspects of the game’s development had also employed AI tools without prior disclosure to the public or to the team. In a series of interviews and social‑media posts, CEO Matt Karch responded to these allegations. Karch asserted that Sacco was "replaced by someone more talented and terminated for a variety of reasons a few months later," and he added a provocative remark that "in retrospect [he] would have been happy to replace her with AI." This comment was interpreted by many as an admission that the studio had indeed considered AI as a substitute for human writers, and it further inflamed the debate about the ethical use of AI in creative industries.
Karch’s remarks continued in an interview with the podcast This Week In Videogames, where he said, "Stella who? I had to ask Claude because I have never spoken to her or seen her." The reference to Claude, another AI assistant, was meant to underscore his point that he had no personal interaction with Sacco.
He also explained that the company had already announced the use of AI for certain parts of the game and promised to update the Steam page once the feature set was finalized. "We look at our use of AI in this particular game, which will be a lower priced title, as a plus for consumers," Karch added, framing AI integration as a benefit rather than a drawback.
The controversy took another turn when Sacco posted on the social platform BlueSky over the weekend, stating 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." Sacco’s acceptance of the apology, however, was tempered with uncertainty about what concrete actions would follow. Karch also issued a separate public comment on LinkedIn, where he reflected on his own behavior.
He admitted, "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." This admission of impulsive reaction was intended to humanize his response, but critics argued that it did little to address the substantive concerns about AI replacing human labor. The broader gaming community has been closely watching this dispute because it touches on a larger, industry‑wide conversation about the role of AI in game development.
On one side, developers argue that AI can accelerate content creation, reduce costs, and enable smaller studios to produce richer experiences. On the other side, writers, artists, and other creative professionals fear that AI could erode job security, diminish the quality of storytelling, and lead to homogenized content that lacks the nuance of human craftsmanship. Industry analysts note that the use of AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and other large language models has been growing rapidly across many sectors, including entertainment, marketing, and software development.
In gaming, AI can be employed for procedural generation of dialogue, quest design, bug detection, and even voice synthesis. However, the ethical guidelines for when and how to disclose AI involvement remain fuzzy, especially when AI outputs are presented as original human work. Saber Interactive’s decision to place an explicit disclaimer on the Steam page can be seen as an attempt to align with emerging best practices. Transparency about AI usage helps maintain consumer trust and gives players the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions.
Some observers suggest that the disclaimer could serve as a template for other studios facing similar scrutiny. In the aftermath of the controversy, several steps have been proposed to mitigate the fallout.
First, a clear internal policy on AI usage could be drafted, outlining which tasks are appropriate for automation and which must remain under human oversight. Second, an independent audit of the game's development pipeline could verify the extent of AI involvement and ensure compliance with any relevant labor regulations. Third, offering compensation or professional development opportunities to displaced staff, like Sacco, could demonstrate goodwill and responsibility. From a consumer perspective, the impact of AI on the final product is still uncertain.
Some players may appreciate faster updates, more varied dialogue, or lower prices resulting from AI efficiencies. Others may worry that the game’s narrative depth could suffer if AI-generated text lacks the emotional resonance that seasoned writers bring. As Rideshare Simulator approaches its release, player feedback will likely shape how Saber Interactive refines its AI strategy. In summary, Saber Interactive has responded to accusations of replacing a human writer with AI by adding a formal disclaimer to its Steam listing and by having its CEO, Matt Karch, publicly apologize for his earlier remarks.
The incident highlights the tension between technological advancement and creative labor, prompting calls for greater transparency, ethical guidelines, and respect for the contributions of human creators. Whether the studio’s corrective actions will satisfy critics or set a new standard for AI disclosure in gaming remains to be seen, but the episode undeniably adds a significant chapter to the ongoing debate over AI’s place in the future of interactive entertainment.