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The AI has just been kicked out of the game.
Major League Baseball effectively banned the practice of using iPads during games to access artificial intelligence tools and the use of AI to shape in-game strategy.
Teams were installing custom apps that pushed the boundaries of technology guidelines as iPads were used “beyond their original purpose to include recommendations on substitutions, pitch calls and other in-game decisions traditionally made by players and coaches,” according to a memo from the commissioner’s office obtained by Pak Gazette Digital.
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An iPad in the dugout during an MLB game between the A’s and the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, on May 21, 2026. (Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The league’s memo on AI and iPads was issued on June 11, and the ban went into effect Wednesday, before teams resumed play after the All-Star break. According to The Athletic’s report, up to a third of the league was using iPads for reasons outside of their intended use.
The league’s review of technology use found that no teams violated MLB rules governing sign stealing and the use of electronic devices.
“We have to stop cheating before there is cheating now,” a front office executive told The Athletic.
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Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge look at an iPad during a game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY on May 24, 2026. (Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
On MLB-issued iPads, there are three tabs: the first contains MLB-provided Statcast data and multiple video angles, the second contains data related to the automated ball-striking system (ABS), and the third was a custom tab where teams installed apps. That third tab is now banned by the league.
Rules have been put in place to try to reduce the amount of live information coming into iPads. Game video is only available on a delayed basis and there are rules posted in all clubhouses preventing non-field personnel from entering the dugout.
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Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers checks an iPad in the dugout during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on May 10, 2026. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
It’s not known exactly how many teams used the iPads with live information during the game, but the league’s decision to suspend the use of artificial intelligence now ensures that humans make all the decisions.
The Athletic was the first to report on AI restrictions on iPads.
