Anyone who has ever played Monopoly with their family - particularly if they happen to have overly competitive relatives - will know just how quickly a situation can turn from a polite family gathering to a never-ending shouting match.

Well, that might just be about to change, courtesy of Hasbro, the makers of Monopoly. A brand new version of Monopoly is being released with the aim of nipping potential arguments in the bud by including a voice-controlled AI banker which is incapable of cheating.

This new virtual assistant will not rely on Wi-Fi, according to Gizmodo, and should have the effect of speeding up the game (which often tends to drag on until a player goes bankrupt), and eliminating potential cheating to boot.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Hasbro]]

The smart assistant will be voiced by Rich Uncle Pennybags, the game's mascot, and will replace the designated banker. It will handle all financial transactions, and give players a non-human outlet for their frustration.

Physical cash will also no longer be needed as all the transactions will be handled electronically.

Users identify themselves using one of four buttons on top of the speaker (it can’t differentiate between different voices), and can then make verbal commands such as "Build a hotel".

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Hasbro]]

Hasbro has confirmed that the game will be hitting the shelves next month, and will cost $30 - which is around $10 more than the original version.

Now, while some might not be particularly keen on AI being used in a game which has entertained families across the globe for decades without it, for many, this revolutionary new feature is a step in the right direction.

Anyone who has ever played Monopoly with their family - particularly if they happen to have overly competitive relatives - will know just how quickly a situation can turn from a polite family gathering to a never-ending shouting match.

Well, that might just be about to change, courtesy of Hasbro, the makers of Monopoly. A brand new version of Monopoly is being released with the aim of nipping potential arguments in the bud by including a voice-controlled AI banker which is incapable of cheating.

This new virtual assistant will not rely on Wi-Fi, according to Gizmodo, and should have the effect of speeding up the game (which often tends to drag on until a player goes bankrupt), and eliminating potential cheating to boot.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Hasbro]]

The smart assistant will be voiced by Rich Uncle Pennybags, the game's mascot, and will replace the designated banker. It will handle all financial transactions, and give players a non-human outlet for their frustration.

Physical cash will also no longer be needed as all the transactions will be handled electronically.

Users identify themselves using one of four buttons on top of the speaker (it can’t differentiate between different voices), and can then make verbal commands such as "Build a hotel".

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Hasbro]]

Hasbro has confirmed that the game will be hitting the shelves next month, and will cost $30 - which is around $10 more than the original version.

Now, while some might not be particularly keen on AI being used in a game which has entertained families across the globe for decades without it, for many, this revolutionary new feature is a step in the right direction.