Pokemon GO developer Niantic has revealed that they used player data from the popular mobile game to help build their large geospatial model. Released in 2016 and taking the world by storm, Pokemon GO is a popular mobile version of the iconic Pokemon series. Players use their phones to travel the real world around them and capture digital Pokemon.
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The game's popularity broke into the mainstream as people searched far and wide to capture their favorite Pokemon. The game is still going strong today, though it's nowhere near its popularity on release.
According to a blog post on Niantic's site, the company has been able to use data from Pokemon GO over the past five years to form a Visual Positioning System (VPS). The VPS uses a single image from your phone to help render a 3D map built from "people scanning interesting locations in our games and Scaniverse." They aim to use the VPS to allow users to see digital content in the physical space around them. One such example specific to Pokemon GO is called Pokemon Playgrounds. According to Niantic, it allows users to "place Pokémon in a specific location, and they will remain there for others to see and interact with."
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It sounds fun in theory, but users are supposedly training Niantic's AI model every time they use the feature.
Niantic Responds To Reports of Upset Gamers
The news went as well as you'd expect it to with gamers. As AI technology, particularly with ChatGPT and AI art, continues to be relevant in today's society, gamers push back against the newest tech trends. The news of Niantic using Pokemon Go player data to train their AI models was a little unpopular, to say the least.
Niantic contacted IGN to clarify what the player data is actually doing.
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"We use player-contributed scans of public real-world locations to help build our Large Geospatial Model," they told IGN in a statement. "This scanning feature is completely optional - people have to visit a specific publicly-accessible location and click to scan. This allows Niantic to deliver new types of AR experiences for people to enjoy. Merely walking around playing our games does not train an AI model."
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While they claim that player data isn't being used to train AI models today, that won't be enough to quell concerns about what will happen in the future. And while yes, you can opt out of the feature, what about all the people who played in 2016 and haven't touched it since?
Pokémon GO
Pokemon GO is a mobile game that allows you to find and catch Pokemon out in the wild via Augmented Reality (AR). You are also able to challenge other players to battle, grow and evolve your Pokemon, and take part in limited time events.
Augmented Reality
Systems
Franchise Pokemon
Platform(s) iOS , Android
Released July 6, 2016
Developer(s) Niantic , The Pokemon Company
Publisher(s) Niantic
Multiplayer Online Multiplayer
Engine Unity
ESRB e
Platforms ios, andriod
X|S Optimized n/a
Steam Deck Compatibility n/a
Cross Save yes
Cross-Platform Play ios, andriod
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