Major League Baseball Moves to Block Artificial Intelligence Tools on Dugout Tablets

Major League Baseball has moved to curtail how teams deploy iPads in dugouts, specifically targeting the use of artificial intelligence systems that assist with in-game strategic decisions. The league took action Wednesday night by disabling custom software tabs that had previously allowed clubs to access programs beyond the devices’ original scope.

Morgan Sword, MLB’s executive vice president for baseball operations, outlined the reasoning in a memo sent to team executives on June 11. He noted that the custom tabs had enabled teams to generate suggestions on matters including player substitutions, pitch selection, and other tactical choices typically reserved for managers and players.

The memo, which The Associated Press obtained after The Athletic initially reported its contents, emphasized that a review by the competition committee had found teams were operating within established rules. However, league leadership determined that the practical application had drifted significantly from the tablets’ intended function.

Sword indicated the June timing would give franchises sufficient opportunity to adapt their operations before the second half of the season begins. He framed the prohibition as a way to ensure fair adjustment rather than an immediate enforcement action.

MLB introduced iPad usage in dugouts as a pilot program late in the 2015 season and formalized the practice in 2016 through a partnership with Apple. The league temporarily suspended video access during the 2020 season in response to the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing investigation, before reinstating it the following year.