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4h ago

MLB Disables Dugout iPad Custom Tab to Block AI From Making In‑Game Calls

The June 11 memo disabled the custom tab at the second‑half start to preserve human strategic authority.

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The New York Mets bench reacts during the ninth inning against the Athletics.
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An image collage containing 2 images, Image 2 shows Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) looks at an iPad before the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.

Overview

  • Major League Baseball told clubs in a June 11 memo that the league-made custom tab on issued dugout iPads would be turned off at the start of the season’s second half to stop apps from generating live strategic recommendations.
  • The memo said teams had used the custom tab to run programs that suggested substitutions, pitch calls and other in‑game moves that are traditionally made by players and coaches.
  • A league review found no violations of existing sign‑stealing or electronic‑device rules so MLB imposed the restriction as a preventive measure rather than levying penalties.
  • Reporting indicates as many as one‑third of clubs used expanded iPad functions to varying degrees, which prompted the Commissioner's Office to tighten live‑input controls such as delayed video and limits on non‑field personnel in dugouts.
  • MLB will allow pregame and static data uploads subject to review and will monitor future device content, a move that aims to preserve competitive fairness while teams rework their dugout operations.