Major League Baseball is putting new limits on how teams can use technology in the dugout during games. According to reporting from outlets including ABC News, WRAL and ABC7 New York, the league is restricting the use of dugout iPads to prevent clubs from tapping artificial intelligence to make in-game decisions.
The concern is straightforward: teams have access to tablets loaded with data, and the fear is that AI tools could be used to feed managers and coaches real-time strategic recommendations during play. The new rules aim to keep those AI-assisted suggestions out of live decision-making.
According to The Washington Post and KTVN, which carried the story, Adam Ottavino said the Mets were involved in the situation that prompted the change. The Korea Daily framed the move as one that "benches the robot coaches," capturing the idea that the restriction is meant to keep strategy in human hands rather than outsourced to algorithms mid-game.
The reports indicate the limits are specifically targeted at in-game strategy. Dugout tablets have become a standard part of the modern game, giving staff quick access to scouting and analytics. What MLB is drawing a line against is using those devices to run AI that could effectively coach the game in real time.
Why it matters: This is an early, concrete example of a major professional sport writing rules to keep AI from quietly steering live competition — a question every league will eventually have to answer as the technology grows more capable.