MLB Bans AI on Dugout iPads

Major League Baseball has instituted a ban on generative artificial intelligence used on dugout iPads, taking effect on Wednesday, August 15, 2026. This measure restricts teams from utilizing custom applications that had expanded the iPads' functionality beyond their original purpose to include AI-driven recommendations for substitutions and pitch calling.

Approximately one-third of the league had reportedly adopted this technology to assist in shaping in-game strategy. The mid-season policy adjustment, issued via a commissioner's office memo on June 11, 2026, has generated frustration among innovation-focused front-office members but addresses concerns about technology potentially supplanting player and coach decisions.

League-provided iPads were first introduced in 2016 and saw their usage more tightly regulated in 2021 following sign-stealing scandals. While in-game video remains accessible on a delay, the current ban targets the advanced analytical applications that teams developed, particularly concerning pitch suggestions and dynamic game planning.

MLB has not commented directly but referred to the memo from executive vice president of baseball operations, Morgan Sword. The union also declined to comment on the new regulations, which do not carry penalties as all clubs were deemed compliant with existing sign-stealing and electronic device rules prior to this policy change.