Saber CEO Denies AI Replaced Writer on Rideshare Game

A dispute has erupted between game publisher Saber Interactive and a former lead writer, Stella Sacco. Sacco claims she was replaced by generative AI during the development of the upcoming game "Rideshare Stimulator." She states that Saber replaced her with ChatGPT midway through development, and that the passenger voices in the game were also AI. These allegations spread online, prompting Saber to issue a statement denying the rumors. Saber stated that neither they nor developer Unigine replaced any writers with AI for "Rideshare" or any other game. They confirmed their writing staff has tripled since 2023, and "Rideshare's" story was written by real people. However, Saber did confirm an experimental free-ride mode will use AI due to the infinite number of possible passengers. Now, Saber CEO Matthew Karch has personally addressed the allegations, leading to another response from Sacco. Karch stated he had never spoken to Sacco and that she was replaced by another writer before being dismissed months later for separate reasons. He added that if the story script were to win an award, it would go to a person. Sacco has since released her own statement, standing by her original account. This situation highlights the ongoing debate about AI's role in creative industries.