Saber Interactive Adds AI Disclaimer to Rideshare Simulator, CEO Apologizes to Former Writer

Saber Interactive has introduced an AI disclaimer to the Steam page for its game, Rideshare Simulator. This action comes in response to a controversy stemming from allegations that the company dismissed a writer who was working on the game, opting instead to use AI-generated text.

The disclaimer provided by Saber Interactive states:

The main campaign story, characters, and dialogue are written by a team of human writers. AI tools are used for voice generation and some localisation.

The optional Free Ride mode includes AI-generated passenger missions and localised dialogue. Free Ride mode is separate from the main campaign and can be skipped by players who prefer to experience only human-written narrative content.

The game also includes a mix of radio stations featuring human-made music and AI-generated music. Stations containing AI-generated music are clearly labeled as such in game.

This disclosure follows recent remarks from Saber CEO Matt Karch concerning Stella Sacco, who was employed by Saber from July 2023 to July 2024. Sacco claimed she was removed from the Rideshare project midway through development and replaced with ChatGPT, while also alleging other undisclosed uses of AI in the game's creation.

In his initial response, Karch stated that Sacco was "replaced by someone more talented and terminated for a variety of reasons a few months later." He further commented that, "in retrospect, [he] would have been happy to replace her with AI."

Karch also told This Week In Videogames, "Stella who? I had to ask Claude because I have never spoken to her or seen her. We have already said we are using AI for certain parts of the game and will update the Steam page once we have finalised the feature set." He added that the company views the use of AI in this particular game, which is intended to be lower-priced, as a benefit to consumers.

However, over the weekend, Sacco posted on BlueSky, stating that Karch had "apologized unreservedly for the awful way he spoke about me in the press." She continued, "I've been firm from the beginning that I was telling the truth; I think we can all now agree that it's been borne out. Matt expressed a desire to make it right with me; at this time I don't really know what that looks like for me, and I'll have to take some time to sit with it, but I do at least accept his apology."

Karch also made a public comment on LinkedIn, acknowledging his reaction. "I unfortunately got triggered by certain later comments (for reasons I won't get into) and shot first and thought second about how to respond," he wrote. "It happens and I am a human being. I have done what I can to rectify."