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The AI has just been kicked out of the game.
Major League Baseball has effectively made it illegal to use iPads to access artificial intelligence tools during games or use AI to develop in-game strategies.
According to a memo from the commissioner’s office obtained by Fox News Digital, the iPads were used “beyond their original purpose to include traditional player and coach decisions regarding substitutions, pitch calls and other in-game decisions,” and teams installed custom apps that pushed the limits of technical guidelines.
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An iPad is placed in the dugout during the MLB game between the Athletics and Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California on May 21, 2026. (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
A league memo regarding AI and iPads was issued on June 11, and the ban went into full effect Wednesday before teams resumed play after the All-Star break. A third of the league’s players were using iPads for reasons beyond their original purpose, The Athletic reported.
The league’s investigation into the use of technology found that no teams violated MLB rules governing sign stealing or the use of electronic devices.
“We have to stop cheating before it becomes rampant,” one front office executive told The Athletic.
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Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge look at an iPad during the Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees game at Yankee Stadium on May 24, 2026 in the Bronx, New York. (Andrew Morzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The MLB-issued iPad has three tabs. The first tab contained Statcast data and multiple video angles provided by MLB, the second tab contained data related to the Automated Ball Strike (ABS) system, and the third tab had a custom tab where teams installed apps. That third tab is currently banned by the league.
Rules have been introduced to reduce the amount of raw information entered into the iPad. In-game video will be available only during delays, and rules are posted in all clubhouses prohibiting anyone other than field personnel from entering the dugout.
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Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers checks his iPad in the dugout during the bottom of the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on May 10, 2026. (Jane Kamin Onsia/Getty Images)
While it’s unclear exactly how many teams used iPads to view live information during games, the league’s decision to suspend the use of artificial intelligence ensures that humans are making all decisions.
The Athletic was first to report on the AI limitations on the iPad.
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