Does Monopoly's Cash-Free AI Banker Teach the Wrong Lessons?

'An updated version of the classic board game Monopoly has done away with cash entirely and now uses a voice-activated AI banker instead,' reports MarketWatch, asking whether this teaches game-players the wrong lessons:

This is not the first time Monopoly has reflected today's cashless world. A 2006 edition of the game in the United Kingdom featured Visa-branded credit cards instead of paper play money. Similar versions of the game are also available in the U.S. Last year, Hasbro even released a version called Monopoly for Millennials in which players compete to buy experiences rather than real estate.

The new technology may appeal to kids used to interacting with voice-activated digital assistants such as Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri or Microsoft's Cortana. Financial experts, however, remained on the fence about the game's educational value... By removing the physical element of the game, some argue that Monopoly's usefulness as a tool to teach children about money is reduced. 'Removing physical Monopoly money reduces the educational benefit of the game by glossing over the important task of learning to manage and count your money,' said Nicole Strbich, director of financial planning at Buckingham Advisors in Dayton, Ohio.

In the new version of the game, 'The omnipotent talking top hat also will yell, 'YOU'RE BANKRUPT!' at you,' reports CNET...

'Hey, Monopoly cheaters. Here's a version that won't let you sneak extra hundreds from the bank or neglect to pay your taxes.'

Read more of this story at Slashdot.