MLB Is Looking To Bring Robots Into The Game, And It’s One Of Those Great Ideas Where You Don’t Fear An AI Takeover

Finally! Artificial intelligence that we don’t have to fear! During next year’s spring training, Major League Baseball will be having a challenge system, and one of the things that they’re going to be doing is testing out robot umpires. They’ll be running the test at 13 different ballparks with 19 franchises being involved. If things go well, MLB could potentially use them in the 2026 regular season. Since 2019, the league has been running experiments with a ball-strike system that’s automated, doing so in the minor leagues. With that being said, they’re still trying to figure out the technicalities when it comes to a strike zone shape. (RELATED: Braves’ Chris Sale, Tigers’ Tarik Skubal Named 2024 Cy Young Winners) In order for the robots to be used, the Major League Baseball Umpires Association would have to agree to it. Their collective bargaining agreement comes to an end Dec. 1. “I would be interested in having it in ‘26,” stated MLB commissioner Rob Manfred following an owners’ meeting Wednesday. “We do have a collective bargaining obligation there. That’s obviously a term and condition of employment. We’re going to have to work through that issue, as well.” Normally, I wouldn’t be the one to support robots, I’m most certainly one of those people worried about an AI takeover. But honestly, umpires (and referees) are so horrendous at their jobs that I’m all for this!