In a statement to PC Gamer, Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch denied that former Rideshare Stimulator writer Stella Sacco had been replaced by ChatGPT. He confirmed the use of generative AI in the game and said he would have preferred to swap the professional for an AI system.
Stella Sacco said she was fired in 2023 and replaced by ChatGPT, adding that all passenger voices were also created with AI during that period. The company had already released a statement denying the replacement but confirming the use of generative AI.
Use of AI in the game
Karch said AI is used in an experimental free-ride mode, which "by necessity includes AI, since the number of passengers in the game is infinite." He said the game's page on Steam will be updated when the implementation of the feature set is completed, and that he treats the feature as a highlight, not as something hidden.
The executive also said that the use of AI in a lower-priced game represents a benefit for consumers.
Response to former employee
When responding to Stella's statements, Karch said: "Stella who? I had to ask Claude, because I never spoke with her or saw her." The CEO added that the company planned to reveal the use of AI later, but the writer had allegedly violated a confidentiality clause.
Karch also said that if the game's story received an award, it would be given to whoever could go onstage to accept it. Regarding the dismissal, he said Stella "was replaced by a more talented person and fired for various reasons a few months later." He stated that, in hindsight, he would have preferred to replace her with AI to deal with "someone programmed to be honest."
