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It has been revealed that some Major League Baseball teams have been using AI to assist with player substitutions and pitch sequencing during games. The MLB office has now issued a total ban on the use of AI technology during games.

Reporter Pyeon Gwanghyeon has the story.

[Reporter]

Since 2016, Major League Baseball has allowed teams to use tablet PCs provided by the league office in the dugout.

Following several rule revisions, teams are currently permitted to use three tablet PCs, which allow access to league-provided data, game footage, and information regarding the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS).

However, The Athletic recently reported that more than 10 teams have installed applications utilizing AI technology on these tablets to assist with game operations.

For instance, teams have been feeding real-time pitching and batted-ball data provided by the league into AI programs to determine pitch selection, or so-called pitch sequencing, as well as to assist in decisions regarding pitcher substitutions.

The league office suspects that at least six teams, starting with Miami, which has been a surprise performer this season, have had their coaching staff—rather than the pitcher and catcher—take charge of pitch sequencing since this year, and that they received help from AI in the process.

Having suffered through the 2019 sign-stealing scandal involving the Houston Astros, who used dugout monitors, the MLB office appears to have banned the use of AI technology to prevent the issue from escalating into a larger controversy.

In professional baseball leagues in South Korea and Japan, the use of electronic devices in the dugout is prohibited.

(Video Editing: Park Jeong-sam)