MLB will use an automated ball‑strike system in 2026 that only activates on human‑initiated challenges, with strict limits on who can trigger reviews, how many per game, and public display of the ruling. The strike zone is mathematically defined by plate width and player height, and the system’s error bounds and success rates are disclosed. This hybrid design—humans play, machines judge on appeal—shows how institutions can introduce AI while preserving transparency and control.
— It offers a concrete, replicable pattern for governing AI adjudication in other domains: bounded machine authority, defined triggers, appeal caps, and visible explanations.
Nick Burns
2025.10.01
65% relevant
The article critiques MLB’s new robot‑umpire challenge system by questioning the assumption of an objective, box‑defined strike zone, contrasting it with a design that limits machine authority to appeals—exactly the governance pattern highlighted in the existing idea.
BeauHD
2025.09.23
100% relevant
MLB approved ABS with two balls‑and‑strikes challenges per game, head‑tap triggers by players/catchers/pitchers, a 1/6‑inch error margin, and in‑stadium pitch displays.
← Back to All Ideas