Niantic's Geospatial AI Models and Pokémon Go Data

Niantic is at the forefront of using geospatial AI models to enhance computer navigation in real spaces. Through its Pokémon Go data, the company is making significant strides in the field of augmented reality. In a recent corporate blog post, Niantic quietly announced its AI plans, highlighting the importance of spatial intelligence as the world's future operating system.

Uncovering Niantic's Geospatial AI Journey with Pokémon Go Data

Building the Visual Positioning System

Niantic has constructed its Visual Positioning System using a vast collection of images and videos sent in by people from around the world. This feature allows users to voluntarily contribute location information, which in turn helps Niantic develop new augmented reality products. It's a remarkable initiative that showcases the power of collective data in shaping the future of technology.However, Niantic also utilizes precision location information gathered from Pokémon Go users. This enables players to interact with digital objects in real locations asynchronously, creating a unique and immersive augmented reality experience.

The Privacy Policy Dilemma

A close examination of Niantic's privacy policy reveals some interesting aspects. Users have no option to turn off location data as Pokémon Go is a location-based game. This raises questions about user control and privacy. Additionally, while Niantic outlines what it shares with outside providers and what personal information it never provides to third-party vendors, it remains silent on how it uses the data it collects, including location data.There seems to be a distinction made in the policy between location data and personal data. This raises the possibility that Niantic could bundle location information without including names and other personal data and share it with other vendors. Such a practice highlights the need for greater transparency in data usage.

The Development Timeline

Niantic has been working on this geospatial model since 2019. This post marks the first time the company has been transparent about how it uses location data. It shows their commitment to advancing the field of augmented reality and leveraging data in innovative ways.Over the years, Niantic has been constantly evolving and improving its technologies. The use of Pokémon Go data has played a crucial role in this development, and it continues to shape the future of augmented reality.