Saber Rideshare Stimulator AI use is now the subject of a public dispute: Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch says neither the publisher nor developer Unigine replaced writers with artificial intelligence, responding to a former lead writer’s allegation that she was replaced by ChatGPT during development.
In a statement reported by The Verge on August 11, Karch said the game’s story was written by people, with one stated exception. An experimental free-ride mode will incorporate AI, he said, because the mode is intended to support an infinite number of passengers.
That is a narrower claim than the central dispute. Saber is denying that AI displaced a writer. It is also acknowledging that the unreleased game will use AI in a particular mode. The available reporting does not independently settle whether the alleged replacement occurred.
Did Saber replace a Rideshare Stimulator writer with ChatGPT?
Former lead writer Stella Sacco says it did. Sacco wrote on Bluesky that she had been the project’s lead writer and that Saber replaced her with ChatGPT midway through development. She also alleged that passenger voices were made with AI.
Karch directly rejected the replacement claim, saying neither Saber nor Unigine had replaced writers with AI. Neither account is corroborated by independent evidence in the material available, so the competing claims remain unresolved.
What AI use has Saber confirmed for Rideshare Stimulator?
Saber has confirmed only the planned AI component described by Karch: the experimental free-ride mode will incorporate AI because it is meant to have an unlimited number of passengers. The statement does not specify what functions the AI performs in that mode, nor does it establish whether it produces dialogue, voices, or other material.
Rideshare “Stimulator” was announced last month and is listed by Saber as being published by Saber Interactive and developed by Unigine. Saber’s official site lists its release date as to be announced.
The Verge also reported that the game’s Steam listing did not, at the time of its report, contain a generative-AI-use disclosure. That observation does not determine whether the listing was required to include one.
Karch’s statement also said Saber has used AI tools to improve gameplay and non-player-character behavior since the company was founded in 2001. He said the company continues to hire and has more than 3,000 employees. Those are company assertions, separate from the factual question of what happened to Sacco’s role on this game.
For players, the immediate answer is limited: Saber has confirmed some AI use in an experimental mode, but denied using it to replace the game’s writers. The record currently contains an allegation and a denial, not a verified resolution.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.
