Saber CEO says a human replaced the writer, then says AI would have been better
Stella Sacco said she was removed from Rideshare Stimulator in 2023, while Saber said an experimental free-ride mode uses generative AI to support an infinite number of passengers.
Saber Interactive CEO Matt Karch has responded to writer Stella Sacco’s claim that she was removed from Rideshare Stimulator in favor of ChatGPT, but his statement appears to offer two different explanations for what happened.
Sacco had previously discussed being replaced by AI on a Saber project without naming the game. After the Rideshare Stimulator trailer appeared on August 11, she connected that account to the game in an initial Bluesky post. She said she had been the driving sim’s lead writer before being removed from the project in 2023. She also claimed the AI was used for the rest of the text, including planned live updates, and that passenger voices were made with AI. Saber rejected her claim that she was fired in favor of ChatGPT, though the publisher acknowledged using generative AI for certain parts of Rideshare Stimulator. It also said the game’s story was written “entirely by real people.” Saber additionally said neither it nor Unigine had replaced writers with AI on Rideshare Stimulator or any other game, and that its writing staff had tripled since 2023.
In a follow-up Bluesky post, Sacco said her boss at Unigine defended her work when a Saber executive pushed for AI. She said her boss pointed to her experience writing for live games, but the executive insisted AI would be “great marketing” because “gamers love new tech.”
That AI use was not disclosed on the game’s Steam page at the time of the dispute. Saber said it planned to update the page after finalizing the game’s feature set.
Karch’s statement puts a human name at the center of the dispute
In a statement sent to This Week in Video Games, Karch accused Sacco of violating a confidentiality agreement by discussing the AI claim before Saber was ready to reveal its use. He said Saber had always intended to disclose the technology. He also said the game’s full story script would be credited to an unnamed writer.
“Stella who? I had to ask Claude because I have never spoken to her or seen her,” Karch wrote. He said Sacco “was replaced by someone more talented and terminated for a variety of reasons a few months later,” before adding: “I would frankly in retrospect have been happy to replace her with AI. At least we would be dealing with someone programmed to be honest.”
Karch also described an unrelated experimental free-ride mode involving two writers and multiple coders working with AI tools. Saber said the mode uses generative AI because Rideshare Stimulator features an infinite number of passengers. Karch presented the experiment as a way to improve gameplay and NPC behavior rather than reduce the team or make AI part of the core experience. He also described AI as a benefit for consumers because Rideshare Stimulator would be a lower-priced title. His statement did not identify the writer credited with the script, and it did not explain the specific AI features Saber plans to disclose on Steam.
Sacco stands by her account
Sacco had already acknowledged that the studio might have changed direction after her departure, but she continued to stand by her recollection. In her Bluesky response, she said Karch’s comments appeared to be an attempt to prevent wider attention on the game’s AI use.
“Everything I said was true,” Sacco wrote. She called Karch’s statement “remarkably pathetic for the CEO of any company” and argued that the response, combined with the AI disclosure, could cause more damage to Saber’s reputation than her original claim.
The public dispute now leaves Saber’s position split between a denial that AI replaced Sacco and Karch’s admission that he would have preferred an AI replacement. The company has not publicly identified the writer it says handled the game’s story.
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Rideshare "Stimulator"
Developed by Unigine Holding
