MLB Bans Using Dugout iPads for AI-Powered In-Game Strategy Calls

Major League Baseball officials have taken the unusual step of implementing a mid-season policy change to crack down on teams using dugout tablets for generative AI-powered strategy calls. The new rules, effective as of June 12, were announced via a memo from the commissioner's office on June 11, as reported by The Athletic.

The memo targets custom applications that provide recommendations on substitutions, pitch calling, and other in-game decisions that have traditionally been made by players and coaches. According to sources cited by The Athletic, as many as a third of MLB teams were using tablets for these unintended purposes. However, an MLB review determined that all clubs are now compliant with the updated regulations, and no teams will face any punishment.

This move comes after in-game iPad use was already subject to increased restrictions following a sign-stealing scandal in 2021. In the years since, teams had pushed for more lenient rules, but the league is now walking back some of that leniency. An unnamed front office official told The Athletic, "Gotta stop the cheating before there's cheating now."

While baseball has long embraced statistical analysis, and AI can quickly process large datasets to suggest optimal decisions, the league emphasizes that human factors such as physical, mental, and emotional performance must be considered. The mathematically correct choice may not always be the best one in practice. Technology, like the new Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) system, can serve as a helpful backup, but using it to replace human intuition and decision-making would detract from the sport's integrity.