Pokémon Go, the augmented reality game that took the world by storm after its 2016 launch, has a hidden legacy: its players' data has been used to train artificial intelligence that could potentially assist military drones in combat zones.
How Pokémon Go Data Was Collected
In 2021, an update to the game introduced Pokéstops, which rewarded players for scanning real-world locations using their phone cameras. These scans were uploaded voluntarily by users who opted in, under Niantic's terms of service. Niantic, which developed Pokémon Go in partnership with Nintendo, collected this data before selling its gaming division in 2025.
Training AI for Spatial Recognition
The historical location scans were used to train Niantic's AI models to recognize and interpret physical spaces, as first reported by DroneXL. Niantic Spatial, a spin-off company, announced a partnership with Vantor in December 2024 to integrate this AI into drone navigation systems, including those used by militaries.
Military Applications
The partnership aims to enable drones to navigate precisely in areas where GPS is unavailable, spoofed, or jammed. Vantor's chief product officer, Peter Wilczynski, stated in an interview with Tectonic Defence: "The modern battle space is going to be complete with different systems, and you’re going to want to upgrade those systems quickly."
Privacy and Ethical Concerns
Both companies clarified that ground scans from the game were not provided to Vantor, but the scans trained Niantic's foundation models. Tom Sulston of Digital Rights Watch called the use of civilian data for military ends troubling, noting that most users do not read lengthy terms of service. Dr. Rob Nicholls from the University of Sydney said this case may be the tip of the iceberg, citing examples like Strava data revealing military facility locations.
Ongoing Developments
Vantor announced a deal with the US Army in February 2025 worth up to US$217 million for training software. Niantic sold its video game division to Saudi-owned Scopely for US$3.5 billion in 2025.
