adminThe Saber Interactive AI writer controversy concerns competing accounts of how generative AI was used during development of the upcoming driving game Rideshare. Former lead writer Stella Sacco says she was removed from the project and that ChatGPT was used to produce more of its writing. Saber Interactive has denied replacing writers with AI, while its CEO later said the game would include an experimental AI-powered mode.
Image credit: Saber Interactive
Update, August 13, 2026: Saber Interactive CEO Matt Karch responded to Sacco’s allegations. The statements below reflect each side’s account; the claims have not been independently verified here.
Saber Interactive AI writer controversy: the CEO’s response
In a statement to a video-game publication, Karch said Sacco had violated a confidentiality agreement. He also claimed she was replaced by another writer, who was later dismissed for several reasons. Karch said the game’s story was written by a person and that the studio intended to disclose its AI use once the game’s feature set was finalized.
Karch described AI as part of an experimental mode and said the feature would be included in a lower-priced game. He also said the Steam page would be updated when the feature list was settled. At the time of the report, the page did not include an AI disclosure.
Sacco responded on social media, disputing Karch’s description of events. She maintained that she had been the project’s lead writer and said she was taken off the game after the studio decided to use ChatGPT for additional text, including planned live updates. She also criticized the CEO’s response and said her earlier account was accurate.
What Sacco alleged about Rideshare
Sacco’s LinkedIn profile lists her as a lead writer at Saber from July 2023 to July 2024. In her public account, she said the project used ChatGPT for writing and AI-generated voices for passengers. She also claimed she had raised concerns internally about audience reaction to AI-generated game content.
Sacco said she had discussed the matter publicly before naming the game. She added that, if the studio changed its plans later, that would not alter what she says happened while she was working on the project.
Saber’s original statement and AI disclosure
Before Karch’s later response, Saber said neither it nor Unigine had replaced writers with AI on Rideshare or other games. The studio stated that its writing staff had tripled since 2023 and that real people wrote Rideshare’s story.
Saber separately described a free-roam mode with an effectively unlimited number of passengers. According to the studio, AI would be used in that mode to support passenger interactions and non-player character behavior. It also said its workforce included more than 3,000 employees and that the company continued to hire.
The distinction the studio draws is between the written story and an experimental mode that uses AI. For players assessing the issue, the practical point is to check the game’s store-page disclosures and any later developer updates, since the stated feature set may change before release.
What to watch for next
The two sides have not presented the same account of Sacco’s role or the use of AI in the game’s writing. Saber has said it plans to update the Steam page when its features are finalized; that disclosure may help clarify which content uses generative AI and how players encounter it.
For now, the Saber Interactive AI writer controversy remains a dispute between the former writer’s account and the company’s statements. A clear, current disclosure on the game’s store page will be useful for players seeking specific information about AI-generated content in Rideshare.
