The inevitable transfer of power from humankind to machine has begun... via baseball.
The Atlantic Baseball League has officially announced it will be putting robotic umpires behind home plate. Called the Automated Ball-Strike System, the computerized devices will actually share duties with human umpires, using radar technology to call balls and strikes.
League officials say the system will offer a "reliable, precise, 'rule-book' strike zone for pitchers and hitters."
"What we know is technology can help umpires be more accurate, and we're committed to that," Atlantic League president Rick White White said in a statement. "We think the Atlantic League is being a pioneer for all of the sport."
But umpires aren't out of their jobs quite yet! The league says they'll still be needed to make decisions on things like close foul balls and check swings.
According to CBS Sports, the use of these new robotic umpires is just one part of their three-year agreement the Atlantic League has with Major League Baseball.
How long will it be before these devices show up in MLB games? I guess only time will tell!