Brewers ballpark bot demonstrates artificial intelligence potential of At the Ballpark app
The integration of AI into the At the Ballpark app at Miller Park shows what MLB’s At the Ballpark app is capable of.
Bernie Bot, the Milwaukee Brewers ballpark bot, aims to make life easier for both fans and staff inside Miller Park. This extension of MLB’s At the Ballpark app makes sense and should spread to the rest of MLB.
Bernie Bot, named after the Brewers’ mascot, can help fans in a multitude of ways. Fans who are looking for a specific concession item will get directions to the edible of choice. The same thing goes for fans who are looking for the closest restroom. When the bot isn’t able to pull a satisfactory answer from its stored data, it connects the fan to guest services.
Stadium and team employees might benefit from the bot even more than fans. The bot allows them to stop spending time on directing fans to amenities in the park, freeing them to use limited resources more productively. Lines for concessions could be shortened by the use of the bot as well, as fans will know exactly which stand to patronize based on their preferences.
The Brewers aren’t the only MLB team to integrate AI into At the Ballpark. The Braves have done the same thing according to Mark J. Burns of SportTechie. This AI integration isn’t as widespread as it should be, however.
Given the fact that At the Ballpark already has stadium-specific functions for all 30 MLB teams, much of the infrastructure required for the rest of MLB to integrate AI is already in place. It’s simply a matter of expanding that platform.
Hopefully soon fans at all 30 MLB parks will be able to get simple questions like where the nearest handicap seating is answered instantly by At the Ballpark. The convenience for fans and staff alike make the investment more than worth it.