Hasbro concocted a virtual Ouija board powered by AI, so that customers can “summon spirits” from their phones and computers for Halloween.
“You and your friends just found out about the new AI-powered Ouija board. You’ve got questions, and the spirit world has answers,” a man says in an advertisement for the Hasbro product. “Summon the spirits from your phone or computer, if you dare.”
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Spirits, let’s play 👻🔮 Dive into a new dimension with the AI-powered #ouija board. Access to the spirit realm is open through Wednesday at https://t.co/eFIjcXkhsk pic.twitter.com/WPinTPhFpL
— Hasbro (@Hasbro) October 30, 2023
The virtual Hasbro Ouija board was only open for seances until November 1, according to PCMag reporter Jacqueline Goldblatt, who described what it was like visiting the website when the product was available.
“I was greeted with creepy music, an age verification menu, and a ‘guide to contacting spirits’ that advised me to be clear about who I was addressing and what I was asking,” Goldblatt explained.
“I was also warned that ‘spirits’ can become distracted after five or more interactions, and that if I wished to speak to a new one all I had to do was type ‘goodbye,’” she added.
Just in time for #Halloween, Hasbro’s Virtual Ouija Board allows you to contact spirits with the power of AI. We took it for a spin to see how paranormal things could be on PC. https://t.co/fQ3pzKeMju
— PCMag (@PCMag) November 2, 2023
The PCMag reporter chose to speak with the late poet Edgar Allen Poe, and Hasbro’s virtual Ouija board, “like other AI test generators,” regurgitated “generic but correct answers when asked what works Poe had written,” she said.
As Breitbart News reported, Ouija boards and other attempts to contact the dead should be avoided because “angels, demons, spirits, and souls do exist, and they can have an impact on our life,” an exorcist priest warned this Halloween season.
“We too often forget that there is much more to this world than meets the eye,” Fr. Dan Reehil, a priest of the Diocese of Nashville, said.
The priest warned that using Ouija boards, which were first developed in the late 1800s as a parlor game, could result in real-world consequences, such as falling victim to demonic possession.
“Ouija boards should not be viewed in the same way as a typical board game,” Fr. Reehil said. “Although it is advertised as a game, it is far from it. Rather, it is a form of divination.”
“Demons lie and impersonate dead people,” he Catholic priest added. “When asking a board for information about a deceased person or a life decision, they are all too happy to embed themselves into your life. Using an Ouija board is inviting a demon into your life, whether the person has that intention or not.”
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and X/Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.