‘I would frankly have been happy to replace her with AI’ - extraordinary public spat between Saber CEO and writer “replaced with ChatGPT” intensifies

Saber Interactive faces a public controversy following allegations by former lead writer Stella Sacco that she was replaced by ChatGPT during development of the upcoming game Rideshare Stimulator. Sacco posted on social media claiming she was removed midway through production in 2023 and that all passenger voices were generated using AI.

The dispute intensified when Saber CEO Matthew Karch made controversial comments to media outlets. When asked about the allegations, Karch stated he would have been “happy to replace her with AI,” adding that AI would at least be “programmed to be honest.” These remarks have drawn criticism for being unprofessional, with observers calling the statement “remarkably pathetic for the CEO of any company to be making.”

In response to the controversy, Saber Interactive’s leadership has clarified that no writers were actually replaced by AI, but rather the company added two writers and multiple coders to work alongside AI tools. The studio confirmed it will add AI disclosure labels to the game’s Steam page once the feature set is finalized. Rideshare Stimulator uses generative AI in an “experimental free-ride mode” that creates an infinite number of passenger characters, described as necessary given the game’s design requirements.

This incident highlights ongoing tensions in the gaming industry regarding AI implementation, labor practices, and corporate communication. While Saber maintains the AI features were always intended to be disclosed, Sacco’s allegations and the CEO’s inflammatory public statements have sparked broader industry discussion about how AI is being adopted in game development.

‘I would frankly have been happy to replace her with AI’ - extraordinary public spat between Saber CEO and writer “replaced with ChatGPT” intensifies

Sources