Pokémon Go: From fun to the battlefield
Pokémon Go, that game that became a global craze, may have an unexpected role in war zones. Data collected from players is being used to train artificial intelligence. This AI could help military drones locate themselves in GPS-denied environments. It sounds like a movie, but it's real.
The game, launched in 2016, allowed players to catch Pokémon in the real world using their phone's camera. In 2021, an update introduced Pokéstops, encouraging players to scan real locations to earn in-game rewards. These voluntarily made scans were used to train AI models for Niantic, the company behind Pokémon Go.
The technology behind the fun
Niantic, which created Pokémon Go in partnership with Nintendo, collected user location data until it sold its gaming division in 2025. This historical data served to train AI models capable of recognizing and interpreting physical spaces, as reported by DroneXL. In December, Niantic Spatial, a Niantic spin-off, announced a partnership with Vantor, a company specializing in spatial detection software for drones.
This collaboration aims to allow drones to navigate accurately in areas where GPS doesn't work, a critical problem in modern operations. The partnership addresses vulnerabilities like GPS unavailability and interference, ensuring autonomous systems maintain situational awareness.
The boundary between civilian and military
The partnership between Niantic Spatial and Vantor is an example of how civilian data can have military applications. Although the companies state Pokémon Go data was not directly provided to Vantor, it was used to train Niantic's AI models. This raises questions about using user data for military purposes.
Tom Sulston of Digital Rights Watch considers using civilian data for military purposes concerning, noting that many users don't read the terms of service before using apps. He suggests regulators should focus on the best interests of users to prevent this type of exploitation.
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