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Saber Adds Steam AI Disclosure After Ex-Writer’s Claim It Replaced Her With ChatGPT

The company’s Steam update clarifies where generative AI was used and raises fresh questions about studio transparency and staff roles.

Overview

  • A former Saber lead writer, Stella Sacco, said on Tuesday that she was removed from Rideshare 'Stimulator' in late 2023 and replaced by ChatGPT, which she said also generated passenger voices.
  • Saber’s CEO Matthew Karch publicly disputed Sacco’s account on Thursday and made combative remarks about her, which intensified community criticism of the studio.
  • Saber updated the game’s Steam page on Friday with a detailed generative-AI disclosure saying the main campaign was written by human writers while AI tools were used for voice generation, some localization, an optional Free Ride mode that creates AI-generated passenger missions, and some in-game music.
  • The company denies it replaced writers with AI, says it added writers and coders to implement the experimental mode, and Sacco reports that her access to a development build was later revoked.
  • The episode has sparked sustained backlash on social platforms and highlights wider industry concerns about timely disclosure, the line between augmentation and replacement of creative labor, and potential legal or reputation risks studios face when using generative AI.