Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch has defended the company’s use of generative AI in its forthcoming game Rideshare Stimulator, escalating a dispute with former lead writer Stella Sacco. The row matters because it raises questions over whether AI displaced creative staff and whether the game has met Steam’s disclosure requirements for AI-generated content.

Sacco said she was replaced by ChatGPT during development and that passenger voices were AI-generated, while Saber denied replacing writers with AI but confirmed generative AI will support an undisclosed mode featuring “infinite” passengers. Karch said Saber would not avoid AI-powered speech and text, claimed Sacco had been replaced by someone more talented, and said he would have been happy to replace her with AI; Sacco rejected his account and said his remarks could harm Saber’s reputation. The game’s Steam page had not yet included the platform’s required AI disclosure, although Karch said it would be updated after the feature set was finalised.