Saber Interactive Denies Replacing Lead Writer With ChatGPT, CEO Responds to Accusations
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Home ><br>news > Saber Interactive Denies Replacing Lead Writer With ChatGPT, CEO Responds to Accusations
12 August 2026 (updated 13 August 2026)
By Edmond Tran
Saber Interactive Denies Replacing Lead Writer With ChatGPT, CEO Responds to Accusations
In Brief<br>Saber Interactive has denied renewed claims that it fired a former Lead Writer so it could "use ChatGPT" in the development of its recently announced title, Rideshare "Stimulator"<br>Narrative designer Stella Sacco, who previously worked as a Lead Writer at Saber, reiterated previous claims that she had been "replaced" with ChatGPT "midway through development" on the project<br>Saber CEO Matthew Karch denied the accusations in a statement to This Week in Videogames, suggesting her replacement was a performance-based decision<br>Saber Interactive, publisher of the upcoming simulation game Rideshare "Stimulator", has denied renewed claims that it fired a former Lead Writer so it could "use ChatGPT to write the rest of the text, including planned live updates." In the process, the company has acknowledged previously undisclosed genAI use elsewhere in the title.<br>On 11 August 2026, writer and narrative designer Stella Sacco, who was previously employed by Saber Interactive from July 2023 to July 2024 as a Lead Writer on Stuntman: Hollywood and "and other games across Saber’s portfolio," shared the trailer for Rideshare "Stimulator" on social media.<br>She remarked, "I was lead writer on this one! And Saber replaced me with ChatGPT midway through development. All the passenger voices were AI too. Either they changed direction at some point or they’re not disclosing it on Steam."<br>Sacco had previously shared her experience of "being replaced with ChatGPT on a project at Saber," but did not disclose the then-unannounced project at the time.<br>Rideshare "Stimulator" is a driving simulation game developed by Unigine and published by Saber Interactive, revolving around the management of a ridesharing business. "Dodge traffic, follow the rules, and race the clock to drop off your quirky passengers, each with a story that’s either captivating, hilarious, or just plain weird," reads the game’s marketing.<br>In a statement made to PC Gamer, a spokesperson for Saber Interactive provided the following response: "Neither Saber nor Unigine have replaced any writers with AI for Rideshare or any other game. In fact, Saber’s staff of writers has tripled since 2023. Rideshare’s story was written entirely by real people."<br>The publisher’s statement continued, acknowledging that the game does in fact use some form of presumably generative AI.<br>"The game will also feature an experimental, free-ride mode that by necessity incorporates AI as the number of passengers in the game is infinite," it said. "We are firm believers in using AI tools to improve or enhance gameplay experiences and improve NPC behavior as we have done since Saber was founded in 2001."<br>"As the industry has continued to contract, Saber continues to hire," it added. "None of our 3000+ employees have to worry about being replaced by AI."<br>The use of AI in Rideshare "Stimulator" comes as some surprise, as the title does not currently have a generative AI disclosure on its Steam page.<br>Valve’s guidelines for its Content Surveys on Steam stipulate that if a game uses "AI services during development or incorporates AI services as a part of the product," a developer is required to "describe that implementation in detail." It clarifies that the section is specifically concerned with "the use of AI in creating content that ships with your game, and is consumed by players. This includes content such as artwork, sound, narrative, localization, etc."<br>[Update: 13 August 2026: In response to a query from This Week in Videogames, Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch explained, "the Steam page will be updated once the feature set is finalized. We are touting this experimental mode as a feature, not shying away from it.”]<br>PC Gamer garnered a response from Sacco in relation to Saber’s comments. "They can say what they want—I was there, I even posted on Facebook about it at the time, and I have mentioned it on Bluesky several times without using the game’s title," she said.<br>"They took me off the project to use ChatGPT to write the rest of the text, including planned live updates," she reiterated. "If they changed plans in the intervening years, that’s great, but again: I was there, and it was my job to write the game, and then it wasn’t once Matt Karch decided using ChatGPT would be great publicity for the game."<br>Elaborating further on her comments on social media, Sacco remarked, "My boss, to his credit, argued over and over...