Robot umpire vs uuman umpire: the spectators’ perception of algorithm errors in baseball games

Abstract

Advancements in technology have allowed for robot umpires in baseball, replacing human umpires to minimize errors in judgment: strike/ ball decision. Yet, when watching games with robot umpires in pilot operations, there are some instances where the robot umpire also commits erroneous calls. Hence, this study conducted a scenario-based online experiment (N= 197) to investigate how spectators perceive robot umpires in baseball games depending on the subject of error (robot umpire vs. human umpire). The experimental results indicated that people demonstrate a lower degree of trust, attitude, and call credibility on robot umpires. Furthermore, the effects of robot umpires were moderated by the familiarity of robot umpires, but not by the phase of error (early vs. late in the game). These findings contribute to the understanding of spectators’ perception of new technologies replacing humans and have practical implications for sports industry practitioners.