❗️Pokémon Go creator Niantic used 30 billion images crowdsourced from players to build a map for AI training and visual positioning capabilities, including for defense purposes.
143 million people spent 8 years scanning streets, parks, and storefronts with their cameras. None of them knew what they were contributing to.
Niantic is now using that data for questionable purposes.
Sources:
1)https://technologyreview.com/2026/03/10/1134099/how-pokemon-go-is-helping-robots-deliver-pizza-on-time/
2)https://tectonicdefense.com/vantor-and-niantic-spatial-team-up-on-air-to-ground-visual-positioning-system/
3)https://pokemongohub.net/post/news/niantic-announces-large-geospatial-model-trained-on-pokemon-go-player-data/
143 million people spent 8 years scanning streets, parks, and storefronts with their cameras. None of them knew what they were contributing to.
Niantic is now using that data for questionable purposes.
Sources:
1)https://technologyreview.com/2026/03/10/1134099/how-pokemon-go-is-helping-robots-deliver-pizza-on-time/
2)https://tectonicdefense.com/vantor-and-niantic-spatial-team-up-on-air-to-ground-visual-positioning-system/
3)https://pokemongohub.net/post/news/niantic-announces-large-geospatial-model-trained-on-pokemon-go-player-data/