MLB cracks down on dugout iPads with artificial intelligence fears growing

MLB is cracking down on artificial intelligence. According to a report by The Athletic on Thursday, the league “has effectively outlawed the growing practice of using league-provided dugout iPads to access generative artificial intelligence, which some teams had increasingly leaned upon to help shape in-game strategy.” The Athletic obtained a commissioner’s office memo saying teams were pushing boundaries of technology guidelines by installing custom apps that expanded the use of iPads “beyond their originally intended purpose.” The memo stated teams were using iPads for recommendations on substitutions, pitch-calling and other in-game decisions usually made by players and coaches. People with knowledge of the technology spoke on the issue candidly and told The Athletic that as much as a third of the league used dugout iPads for one of the aforementioned purposes. The commissioner’s memo was issued June 11, giving teams a month to adjust their strategy and decision-making before the ban was put in place Wednesday for the second half of the season. The decision to crack down on iPads has caused frustration by certain front-office members tasked with innovation, with one high-ranking official saying, “It’s caused quite the stir.”While the tech ban didn’t come with punishment, the growing trend of iPad use became urgent enough for the league to make a mid-season decision to halt the growth of the apps. “Gotta stop the cheating before there’s cheating now,” one front office executive told The Athletic. Even though league iPads have been around since 2016, their usage became more tightly-regulated in 2021 after sign-stealing scandals. “For the first time, we’re going to be allowing players to view live in-game video via an iPad in the dugout or bullpen during the game,” former league executive Chris Marinak said before the 2021 season.“The iPads are issued by MLB and fully controlled so that the players can only use the app tha...