Update: In a statement issued to GamesRadar+, Saber denies that any writer was replaced with AI on Rideshare "Stimulator" or "any other game."
However, an "experimental," free-ride mode in the game does feature the use of some AI "as the number of passengers in the game is infinite."
You can read the full statement below:
"Neither Saber nor Unigine have replaced any writers with AI for Rideshare or any other game. In fact, Saber's staff of writers has tripled since 2023. Rideshare's story was written entirely by real people. The game will also feature an experimental, free-ride mode that by necessity incorporates AI as the number of passengers in the game is infinite.
"We are firm believers in using AI tools to improve or enhance gameplay experiences and improve NPC behavior as we have done since Saber was founded in 2001. As the industry has continued to contract, Saber continues to hire. None of our 3000+ employees have to worry about being replaced by AI."
Original story: Publisher Saber Interactive allegedly heavily used generative AI in the upcoming driving sim Rideshare "Stimulator," even directly replacing some staff with AI bots like ChatGPT, without disclosing AI use in the game's Steam store page.
Rideshare "Stimulator" was announced in a trailer released on July 30 by Saber and developer Unigine. Today, August 11, former lead writer Stella Sacco reacted to the news on Bluesky, suggesting Saber has buried its AI use.
"I didn't even see this had been announced. I was lead writer on this one! And Saber replaced me with ChatGPT midway through development," Sacco says. "All the passenger voices were AI too. Either they changed direction at some point or they're not disclosing it on Steam."
Sacco also points to a post she originally shared on December 21, 2023, which reads, "I got replaced on one of my games at work. With ChatGPT."
Her LinkedIn career history shows she was with Saber from July 2023 through July 2024 as "lead writer for STUNTMAN HOLLYWOOD and other games across Saber’s portfolio."
Rideshare "Stimulator" is billed as a driving simulation game spliced with a rideshare business sim. Players plot and navigate routes through a city, speak to passengers, and aim for high driver ratings.
"Dodge traffic, follow the rules, and race the clock to drop off your quirky passengers, each with a story that's either captivating, hilarious, or just plain weird," reads its Steam description. A freshly minted page on Saber's website echoes this wording.
Notably absent from that Steam page is any sort of AI use disclosure. Games that use generative AI for "content that ships with your game, and is consumed by players" are required by Valve to disclose that usage on Steam. "This includes content such as artwork, sound, narrative, localization, etc.," per Steamworks content survey documentation.
Many developers have told GamesRadar+ that they support Valve's gen AI policy, though its stance has seen opposition in the games industry, notably from Epic Games (and Epic Games Store) boss Tim Sweeney.
Already, these accusations have made their way to YouTube comments on that announcement trailer, even for the PS5 version of the game. (Not that Sony needs any help inviting negative YouTube comments right now.)
"'We replaced the writers and VAs with AI !' We can tell bro," reads a comment posted one hour before press time.
"AI writing and voice work," adds another, posted one hour earlier.
"I notice there is no AI disclosure on the steam page, are you gonna rectify that? Seems at least one of your writers got pushed out in favor of using chatgpt," a third recent comment says.
I've reached out to Saber Interactive for comment on Rideshare "Stimulator" and its AI use and policies.
In stranger news, Saber CEO Matt Karch recently confirmed that Rideshare "Simulator" does, indeed, contain a dig at Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford.
