MLB bans AI on dugout iPads: ‘stop the cheating before it starts’

Major League Baseball has banned its 30 teams from using generative AI on the league-issued iPads found in every dugout, closing a loophole some clubs had quietly exploited to help call games in real time. The restriction, which took effect Wednesday ahead of the second half of the season, follows a league review that found teams had installed custom apps stretching the iPads far beyond their original purpose.

According to a commissioner’s office memo obtained by The New York Times, some teams had built in tools offering recommendations on ‘substitutions, pitch calling, and other in-game decisions traditionally made by players and coaches.’ The memo was circulated last month, giving all 30 clubs more than a month’s notice before the policy became mandatory.

People familiar with the technology told the newspaper that as many as one-third of MLB teams had used the dugout iPads for at least one of these AI-assisted purposes before the ban. The scale surprised even some inside the league, since the devices were originally locked down to a handful of approved functions.

MLB’s review reportedly found that ‘all clubs were compliant’ with existing rules governing sign stealing and electronic device use, so the new policy carries no penalties for past use. The league instead concluded that teams were simply using the iPads beyond their intended role and moved to restrict that use going forward. One front-office executive, speaking to The New York Times, put it bluntly: ‘Gotta stop the cheating before there’s cheating now.’

League-issued iPads first arrived in MLB dugouts in 2016 and were tightened further in 2021 following the sport’s sign-stealing scandals. Former MLB executive Chris Marinak said at the time that the devices were ‘completely locked down and monitored’ so players could only access footage the league had approved, with no internet browsing or social media. Under the new policy, teams may still upload static information gathered before first pitch, though anything added remains subject to league review, while any live, AI-generated in-game recommendations are now off-limits.

Wikimedia Commons/by Keith Allison