Niantic announced that it has developed a new “Large Geospatial Model” (LGM) based on user data collected from Pokémon Go and other games. The company stated that this artificial intelligence model can enable computers and robots to better understand the world and interact with it. The development in question was shared with the public in a post published on Niantic’s official blog.
LGM is based on a “spatial intelligence” infrastructure built on Niantic’s Visual Positioning System (VPS). In the blog post, it was stated that they have been focusing on the development of this system for the last five years. VPS can determine location and direction by analyzing a single image received from smartphones. This system is based on 3D maps that users create by scanning areas of interest during the game. According to Niantic, this dataset is quite unique because it is collected from a pedestrian perspective and includes areas that vehicles cannot reach.
Niantic’s Chief Scientist Victor Prisacariu touched on the details of this system more clearly in a question-answer event in 2022. Prisacariu stated that they created high-accuracy 3D maps by using the data uploaded by players during games such as Ingress and Pokémon Go. These maps include not only 3D geometries (the shapes of objects) but also semantic understanding (for example, understanding whether an element on the map is something like the ground, the sky, or a tree).
Niantic’s new model could pave the way for augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence-based applications while providing a more accurate digitization of the world. In this way, it may become possible to offer innovative solutions not only in the entertainment sector but also in areas such as logistics, tourism and urban planning.
Niantic may attract reaction from some Pokémon Go players
On the other hand, some critics point out ethical problems with such data collection and use. According to 404 Media, users who downloaded Pokémon Go in 2016 could not have predicted at the time that their data would serve this type of artificial intelligence product.
This move by Niantic provides a striking example of how geographic data combined with artificial intelligence can transform daily life. However, it is clear that, in addition to the opportunities that this development will bring, issues such as privacy and data security should not be ignored.