MLB players strike deal to be turned into AI characters that can chat with fans

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NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball players have agreed to let a tech company create AI characters of themselves that can chat and interact with fans.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/02/2026 (235 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball players have agreed to let a tech company create AI characters of themselves that can chat and interact with fans.

Under an agreement announced Thursday between Genies and MLB Players Inc., the business affiliate of the players’ association, AI avatars of top stars will be created that can have conversations with fans. Each avatar will reflect a player’s voice and interests.

Genies will have the ability to charge for chat interactions, in-app experiences and digital goods.

FILE - Clouds float above Kauffman Stadium during the sixth inning of a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Washington Nationals, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
FILE - Clouds float above Kauffman Stadium during the sixth inning of a baseball game between the Kansas City Royals and the Washington Nationals, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

The company could not say which players will initially be available as avatars.

___

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