Niantic's Use of Pokémon Go Data for AI and the Future of Augmented Reality
Pokémon Go, the popular mobile game that has captured the imaginations of millions, may seem like just a fun way to catch Pokémon in the real world. However, it turns out the game is helping shape a new future for technology that goes beyond gaming. Niantic, the company behind Pokémon Go, is using the data collected from its millions of players to develop cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) models that could revolutionize how computers understand and interact with the real world.
What Is Niantic's Big AI Project?
Niantic is working on something called a Large Geospatial Model (LGM). This model uses data collected from Pokémon Go players (and other Niantic apps like Scaniverse) to teach computers how to "see" and "understand" real-world spaces. Imagine the ability for AI to recognize physical locations, not just through images but also in three dimensions, and use that information in various fields like augmented reality (AR), robotics, or even self-driving cars.
Niantic believes this technology will be the backbone of augmented reality glasses and other wearable devices that blend the digital and physical worlds. They aim to create what they call the “world's operating system,” where devices can interact with the real world around you in intelligent, context-aware ways. Think of it as the next big step beyond your phone, where digital content appears right in front of your eyes as if it's part of the world itself.
How Does Pokémon Go Help?
Niantic has built a Visual Positioning System (VPS) using images and videos that players share through the game. Players capture photos and scans of real-world locations, which are then used to create detailed 3D maps. This system helps Pokémon Go players interact with digital objects like Pokémon at specific real-world locations with high accuracy. The more players contribute, the better the system becomes at mapping the world in three dimensions.
The Scale of Data Collection
Niantic collects data from over 10 million scanned locations around the world, with players adding around 1 million new scans every week. This data is not just limited to big landmarks; it also includes smaller, pedestrian-level details—areas that cars and street view cameras can't reach. By combining these scans, Niantic creates digital maps of cities, parks, and neighborhoods, which can be used to power everything from AR games to advanced technologies like robots and self-driving vehicles.
How Does Niantic Train Its AI?
To make sense of all this data, Niantic trains neural networks—complex computer models designed to understand patterns in data. Each network is trained to recognize a specific location or viewpoint, such as the front entrance of a church or a street corner. Over time, these networks accumulate knowledge from millions of scans, allowing the AI to make smarter, more accurate predictions about where a device is and what's around it. The end goal is for Niantic's LGM to understand any location in the world, even from angles it hasn't "seen" before.
Privacy Concerns and Transparency
One major question that has come up regarding Niantic's AI project is how the company uses players' data. When you play Pokémon Go, the game collects location data to track your movements in the real world. While Niantic claims that this data is anonymized and separate from personal details like your name or email, it's still unclear how much control players have over their information. The privacy policy for Pokémon Go doesn't provide a lot of transparency about how exactly this data is used or shared with third parties. This has raised concerns among players about whether they were fully aware of how their in-game activities might contribute to a massive data collection project.
What Does the Future Hold?
Niantic's use of data from Pokémon Go players for AI development is a bold move that could push the boundaries of augmented reality and spatial intelligence. As Niantic continues to build and refine its geospatial models, we might see the technology start to shape everyday life in ways we haven't imagined yet. From smarter AR experiences to better navigation systems and even autonomous vehicles, the future could be a lot more connected to the real world, thanks to the data millions of players have been contributing, often without realizing it.
In the coming years, we may also see more discussion around privacy and data usage in the AR space, especially as companies like Niantic continue to collect vast amounts of location data. But for now, it's clear that Pokémon Go is playing an unexpected but important role in the development of the technology that will shape how we interact with the world around us.
