Big Sky coaches, players move forward cautiously in age of artificial intelligence

A big baseball fan, Tim Plough saw the news last month that Major League Baseball had issued a memo to its teams, warning them, essentially, to use their dugout iPads properly.

Major League Baseball teams were issued a memo last month by Commissioner Rob Manfred, warning them to use their dugout iPads responsibly. The memo was reportedly sparked by a complaint from the Chicago Cubs about a team using AI to analyze the opposing team's pitching patterns. The memo specifically warned against using AI to decode opponents' signs, citing a potential advantage for the team using the technology. MLB teams are allowed to use iPads for video review and statistical analysis, but the memo made it clear that AI-powered sign decoding is not permitted.

For fans, the real impact of this story is the potential for AI to alter the way they watch the game. If teams are using AI to decode opponents' signs, it could lead to a decrease in the number of stolen signs, which in turn could make the game less exciting for fans. This could be particularly notable in the case of the Chicago Cubs, who have a significant following in the Midwest.

The use of AI in baseball is part of a broader trend in sports, where teams are increasingly using data analytics to gain a competitive edge. This trend is driven in part by the increasing availability of data and the development of advanced algorithms. In the past few years, teams have begun to use AI to analyze player performance, track injuries, and even predict the likelihood of player trades.

In the coming weeks, MLB teams are expected to submit their plans for how they will comply with the new rules regarding AI use in the dugout. The deadline for submission is August 15, and teams will be expected to provide detailed information on how they plan to use AI in a responsible manner. Interestingly, the memo also notes that MLB teams are free to use AI to analyze their own performance, but not to decode opponents' signs - a distinction that highlights the complex and evolving nature of this issue.