An upcoming video game about running a rideshare business is drawing criticism after its former lead writer alleged she was replaced by ChatGPT during development.
The controversy intensified when the CEO of Saber Interactive, the game's developer, released a scathing statement about the former employee.
Here's what to know
According to Futurism, Stella Sacco said she had once been the lead writer for Saber's upcoming rideshare-based video game but was replaced during the game's development by artificial intelligence.
In a BlueSky post cited by the outlet, Sacco wrote, "I was lead writer on this one! And Saber replaced me with ChatGPT midway through development."
She also said, according to Futurism, that "All the passenger voices were AI too," and questioned why that apparent use was not disclosed on the game's Steam page.
Matthew Karch, CEO of Saber Interactive, told The Verge that no writers were replaced by AI, but he did acknowledge that the technology was used in "parts of the game" in quotes given to This Week In Video Games.
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Sacco, though, provided further details to The Verge: "My indignation at being called a liar by that statement aside, you can't meaningfully say both 'writers wrote the story' and 'computers wrote the text. If rides I wrote are in there, and also rides AI wrote or will write are in there, then AI was still used, and I was still replaced, just as Saber told me they were doing in December 2023. They're trying to have it both ways. You can't win on the labor part of the statement while you admit you took work away from labor in the next part. It's ridiculous."
Once the trailer started drawing attention online, criticism from players picked up, with some criticizing the use of AI.
One commenter cited by Futurism warned, "This game is AI slop btw," while another wrote, "When you replace your writers with AI midway through development, that's a no-sale."
More background
The dispute has tapped into the fight over AI in creative industries. Writers, actors, artists, and game developers have all raised concerns that companies could use AI to cut labor costs, reduce credits, or automate jobs previously handled by people.
Steam requires developers to disclose AI-generated content on store pages, so questions about whether a game used AI writing, voices, or other generated material can directly affect buyer trust.
Running and training AI models can require enormous amounts of electricity and water through data centers, which can strain local grids and may contribute to higher energy costs in some places.
At the same time, AI can also help improve grid management, forecast electricity demand, and support cleaner energy systems.
What's being done?
Steam's disclosure rules are intended to give consumers a clearer picture of what they are buying, especially when AI-generated assets or systems are involved.
As criticism spread, forums and comment sections filled with players demanding more detail about the game's writing, voice work, and store-page disclosures.
In response to the statement from Karch, Sacco had sharp words in a BlueSky post: "I think it should be obvious to anyone who reads that statement that he's lashing out because he did not want people to know there was AI use in the game."
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