Data collected from players of the augmented reality game Pokémon Go has been used to train AI models that could assist military drones. Niantic, the game's creator, collected location scan data from users who opted into a feature requiring them to upload recordings of real-world locations. This data was used to train Niantic's foundation models for recognizing and interpreting physical spaces, which has now led to a partnership with Vantor, a company specializing in spatial detection software for drones, including military applications. The collaboration aims to enable drones to navigate in areas where GPS is unavailable or compromised, raising ethical concerns about the use of civilian data for military purposes. AI
IMPACT Highlights the ethical challenges of using consumer data for dual-use AI technologies and the potential for unintended military applications.
RANK_REASON The repurposing of popular consumer game data for military AI applications raises significant ethical and privacy concerns.
- Niantic Spatial
- Pokémon Go
- military drones
- PC Gamer
- The Guardian
- AI
- Digital Rights Watch
- Dr Rob Nicholls
- Niantic
- Nintendo
- Scopely
- Tom Sulston
- University of Sydney
- Vantor
- AI models
- Ars Technica
- Slashdot
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