Tim Willits Says Generative AI in Rideshare Does Not Damage Saber Interactive Reputation

Saber Interactive chief creative officer Tim Willits recently addressed the studio's handling of Rideshare, an upcoming Uber-style driving simulator that drew criticism after a former writer revealed it featured undisclosed generative AI. The controversy escalated when CEO Matt Karch attacked the writer in press statements, an action he has since apologized for. Valve policy requires clear disclosure of generative AI use in games, which was missing from the Steam page initially.

Willits explained that the omission happened because the game's reveal rollout went sideways after people talked about it prematurely. Rideshare features a human-written main narrative, but its Free Ride mode uses a large language model to generate passenger dialogue responding to current events. Willits stated that Rideshare is the only Saber game utilizing generative AI, confirming that titles like Space Marine, Hellraiser, and Jurassic Park do not use the technology.

Regarding concerns that the controversy might cast doubt on Saber's other upcoming simulation projects, such as Road Kings, Willits dismissed the worry. He pointed out that wishlists, interest, and preorders across Saber games are up, and emphasized that the games will speak for themselves. Willits compared the current uncertainty around artificial intelligence to past technological transitions in the industry, such as the initial internet backlash to Quake 3 requiring a video card or the early rocky launch of Steam.

Willits described Rideshare as a smaller experimental project suited for testing new tools rather than risking major titles. He noted that generating reactive passenger dialogue for Free Ride mode would otherwise be logistically too difficult and expensive.