Tim Willits, who serves as the chief creative officer at Saber Interactive, stepped in to comment on the remarks made by CEO Matthew Karch after allegations surfaced that a member of the writing team had been replaced by an artificial‑intelligence system. The controversy began in August when Stella Sacco, identified as the lead writer for Saber’s upcoming title Rideshare Simulator, publicly claimed that the company had “replaced me with ChatGPT midway through development.” In response, Karch issued a sharply worded reply that dismissed Sacco’s involvement entirely. He wrote, “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 her original claim was accurate and labeling Karch’s retort as “remarkably pathetic for the CEO of any company to be making.” The exchange quickly attracted attention at Gamescom, where GamesIndustry.biz approached Willits for his perspective on the public dispute. Willits brushed off the drama as “just Matt’s sarcasm, that’s all,” before moving on to the core issue. According to Willits, the company has never swapped a human employee for an AI system.
“That’s crazy,” he said, emphasizing that Saber does not employ generative‑AI tools in the creation of titles such as Space Marine, Hellraiser, Stuntman, or any other current project. He did, however, acknowledge that the studio is actively experimenting with artificial intelligence to discover where the technology might add value in the broader industry. “We don’t know yet where AI will be effective, where players will like it, or where it will be useful,” he explained. “So we’re testing it in the context of the game we announced – Rideshare Simulator – with an AI‑mode feature.” Willits clarified that the primary narrative, characters, and dialogue for Rideshare Simulator’s main campaign were all crafted by a team of human writers.
The Steam store page for the game confirms this, stating that AI tools were only employed for voice generation and certain aspects of localization. In addition, the optional “Free Ride” mode includes AI‑generated passenger missions and localized dialogue, while the in‑game radio stations blend both human‑composed and AI‑produced music tracks. When asked about the broader role of generative AI in Saber’s production pipeline, Willits said the studio does not currently use such tools for core development tasks like coding, level design, or texture creation.
He did, however, speculate that the industry may eventually encounter a breakthrough application that will make AI integration feel inevitable, much like previous technological revolutions. “One day a developer will come up with a clever, brilliant use case for true modern AI integration into an experience, and everyone will say, ‘That’s it.’ Then the rest of us will understand how it fits into everyday game design,” he said. Willits likened the current uncertainty surrounding AI to the early days of any new technology.
“When a new tool first appears, people ask, ‘What are we going to do with this? How will it work?’ Over time we discover where it belongs in the workflow and it becomes part of the normal toolkit.” He expressed optimism that the next Gamescom, scheduled for the following year, would showcase larger titles that make more pronounced use of AI, and that Saber’s own experiments with the feature in Rideshare Simulator would provide valuable data on player reception and integration challenges.
In summary, while Saber Interactive is actively exploring AI‑driven features—particularly in optional game modes and ancillary content—the company maintains that all substantive narrative elements and core development work remain firmly in human hands. Willits framed the ongoing experimentation as a “great experiment” that will help the studio and the industry at large understand the practical limits and creative possibilities of artificial intelligence in video games.
The full interview with Willits can be read on GamesIndustry.biz.