이미지: The Verge AI
Summary
- Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch said no writer was replaced with AI on the Rideshare "Stimulator" game
- Former lead writer Stella Sarko claimed on Bluesky she was swapped out for ChatGPT midway through development, and that passenger voice lines were also AI-generated
- Sarko pointed out that the use of AI was never disclosed on the game's Steam page
- 반박 주체
- 세이버 인터랙티브 CEO 매튜 카치(Matthew Karch)
- 핵심 인용
- "세이버도 유니진도 어떤 작가도 AI로 대체한 적이 없다"
- 반박 대상
- 전 리드 작가 스텔라 사코(Stella Sacco)
- 사코 주장
- 개발 중반 챗GPT로 교체, 승객 대화 음성도 전부 AI 생성
- 게임명
- Rideshare "Stimulator", 지난달 공개된 드라이빙 시뮬레이션
- 실제 개발사
- 유니진(Unigine)
- 사코 발표 경로
- 블루스카이(Bluesky) 게시글
- 보도
- The Verge, 2026년 8월 12일
A month after the game was announced, the person who wrote its dialogue posted on social media that she had been "replaced by ChatGPT." The company immediately denied that anything like that had happened. This clash of statements over the driving simulation game Rideshare "Stimulator" has once again brought the issue of AI authorship disclosure to the forefront of the games industry.
Replacement Dispute: Who's Telling the Truth?
Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch stated that "neither Saber, nor Unigine, nor any writer was replaced with AI." The game was reportedly actually made not by Saber but by a studio called Unigine. Karch's comment came as an immediate rebuttal after controversy over the game grew.
Former lead writer Stella Sarko tells a different story. She wrote on Bluesky, "I was the lead writer on this game. Midway through development, Saber swapped me out for ChatGPT. The passenger dialogue voice lines were all AI too." She added, "Either they changed direction, or they didn't disclose it on the Steam page."
| Category | Matthew Karch (CEO) | Stella Sarko (Former Lead Writer) |
|---|---|---|
| Writer replacement | Denies it happened | Claims she was replaced by ChatGPT midway through development |
| Passenger voice lines | No specific comment | Claims they were all AI-generated |
| Disclosure | No specific comment | Points out it was not disclosed on the Steam page |
What Is Rideshare "Stimulator"?
Rideshare "Stimulator" is a driving simulation game announced last month, which Saber reportedly described as "an immersive driving simulation that puts you behind the wheel." It is reportedly a game in which players become rideshare drivers, picking up passengers and taking them to their destinations. Conversations with passengers are said to be a core part of the game experience — and if Sarko's claims are accurate, that means a substantial portion of this dialogue content was made not by a person but by AI.
Why the Dispute Matters — Credit and Disclosure Obligations
This is not the first authorship dispute over generative AI in the games industry. Deploying AI for labor-intensive work like scripts, dialogue, and voice recording can significantly cut production costs, but if that isn't disclosed on public channels like Steam, backlash follows from both consumers and creators. Sarko's claim that "it wasn't disclosed on Steam" is at the heart of this controversy. If the credits known at the time of announcement differ from the actual production process, this could escalate beyond a simple staffing-replacement issue into a matter of consumer disclosure.
This pattern is recurring not just in gaming but across the content industry more broadly. A similar case emerged recently when a streaming platform decided to use creators' videos for AI training by default, drawing backlash over the opt-out approach itself.
So What Changes Now?
Regardless of how this dispute is resolved, the practice of clearly disclosing AI use in game development credits looks increasingly likely to become a new standard. Players and reviewers now have more reason to scrutinize AI disclosure sections on Steam pages, and development studios face growing pressure to be more transparent about staffing changes or the timing of AI adoption. Even with Karch's denial, Sarko's specific claims about when and who was replaced mean the point of disagreement between the two sides still requires further verification.
