Pokémon Go data helped train AI systems used for military drones

Pokémon Go remains widely played and its developer's game division was bought by Savvy Games Group for $3.5 billion in 2025. Data collected through the game's AR features has also been used to help train AI systems now being developed for military drone positioning.

Niantic introduced AR mapping tasks and Powered‑Up PokeStops that let players scan real‑world locations, and Niantic Spatial later partnered with Vantor in December 2025 to build an air‑to‑ground positioning solution for GPS‑denied environments. That system relies on AI, which the companies say was trained in part using ground scans collected through the game.

Both firms have said the Pokémon Go scans were only one input among many. Niantic Spatial says it no longer has access to scanning data following the transfer of the game business, and Vantor states it does not have the actual Pokémon Go scans and bases its GPS‑denied positioning on its own 3D data from satellite imagery.

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