Rideshare Stimulator admits to AI use on Steam after Saber CEO gloated over replacing its writer with ChatGPT
Rideshare Stimulator has added a Steam disclosure confirming that generative AI was used in parts of the game, following controversy over claims that its lead writer, Stella Sacco, was replaced by ChatGPT. The disclosure has intensified scrutiny because Saber Interactive chief executive Matt Karch reportedly defended the replacement and described AI use as a benefit that helped make the game cheaper.
According to the Steam page, human writers handled the game’s writing, while AI was used for voice generation and some localisation. Its optional Free Ride mode features AI-generated passenger missions and localised dialogue, and the game includes both human-made and AI-generated radio music, with AI music stations labelled accordingly.
- Steam disclosure confirms AI use across several parts of Rideshare Stimulator.
- AI-generated content includes voices, missions, dialogue and some music.
- The admission follows controversy over the lead writer’s reported replacement.
New here? Start with this
Rideshare Stimulator is a video game in which players take passengers on journeys. Steam is the online shop and platform where the game is sold; its store pages can include disclosures about how a game was made.
Generative AI refers to software that creates things such as speech, text or music in response to prompts. Game makers may use it for tasks including voice generation and localisation, which adapts content for different languages and regions. The game’s writing is reported to have been done by people, while some voices, dialogue and music were AI-generated.
The issue has drawn attention because the game’s lead writer, Stella Sacco, was reportedly replaced by ChatGPT, and Saber Interactive chief executive Matt Karch defended the decision. Debate about AI in games often centres on how it affects creative work, production costs and the disclosure of AI-made content.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The company has transparently disclosed AI use on Steam, appropriately applying it to voice generation, localisation, and optional mission content whilst retaining human writers for core narrative. Cost efficiency is a legitimate business concern, particularly for mid-sized studios, and such disclosure allows consumers to make informed choices about the products they support.
The case against
The reported replacement of human writer Stella Sacco with ChatGPT, celebrated by the CEO as cost-saving, reflects a troubling pattern of automation displacing creative workers without regard for their livelihoods. This sets a concerning precedent across the industry where AI could systematically undermine employment for writers and other professionals who depend on such work.