MLB restricts dugout iPad use to prevent use of AI to make decisions

Major League Baseball is restricting iPad use in dugouts to prevent teams from using AI features to make in-game decisions. In a June 11 memo to general managers and video coordinators, MLB executive vice president of baseball operations Morgan Sword said the tablets provide access to video and league-provided data and also included a custom tab for other programs. MLB made those custom tabs inaccessible beginning Wednesday night when the second half of the season started, after a competition committee review found clubs had complied with existing regulations. MLB said the custom tab had expanded the tablets’ use beyond their intended purpose by providing recommendations for actions traditionally handled by players and coaches, including substitutions and pitch calling. The article notes that MLB piloted restricted iPad use in late 2015, expanded it in 2016 through an Apple deal, removed video in 2020 after the Astros sign-stealing scandal, and restored it in 2021.