Niantic Spatial
Niantic Spatial business and news from across the web.
Ingress developer Niantic Spatial shuttering New Zealand officeNiantic Spatial is closing its office in New Zealand and laying off employees as it shifts focus from video games to enterprise markets. The company, which was spun out of Niantic Inc. after the sale of its video game business, had secured significant funding to develop an AI-powered geospatial model. While it continues to operate the AR title Ingress, it discontinued the virtual pet app Peridot in April 2026.
Pokémon GO scan controversy resurfaces after Niantic Spatial defense partnershipConcerns have resurfaced regarding Niantic's use of player-scanned data from Pokémon GO, following a partnership between its geospatial division, Niantic Spatial, and defense technology company Vantor. While no direct evidence links Pokémon GO scan data to military systems, Niantic Spatial's Visual Positioning System, trained on billions of player scans, is being integrated into navigation technology for GPS-denied environments, raising ethical questions about the repurposing of consumer-generated data for potential defense applications.- Dutch journalists show Pokemon Go player data are being used for military drone softwareDutch journalists have reported that data collected from Pokemon Go players, amounting to approximately 30 billion area scans since 2021, is allegedly being used by Niantic Spatial and Vantor to develop software for military drones. Vantor's software suite, Vantor Raptor, utilizes visual positioning systems to enable drone operation during electronic countermeasures, with a partnership announced in December 2025 to ensure functionality during GPS unavailability. Niantic, which sold Pokemon Go and its Niantic Spatial studio to Scopely in 2025, has a history of privacy controversies.
- Data from Pokemon GO players is now used to train US military dronesData collected from Pokemon GO players, including scans of streets, parks, and buildings, is now being utilized by the US military to train its drones. Niantic Spatial owns this real-world spatial data gathered through the game.
Report: Pokemon Go video scans may have been used for AI drone trainingA report indicates that scans made by Pokémon Go players may have been sold to a military drone technology company, Vantor, through Niantic Spatial. These video scans are reportedly used to train a 3D navigation system for drones and robots, though Vantor denies using Pokémon Go data directly. Niantic stated that player data has not been sold and that their products are used responsibly.
If you're still playing Pokémon Go, you're helping train data-gobbling GPS AI for Niantic SpatialNiantic is leveraging data from its popular game Pokémon Go to train AI models for its spinout company, Niantic Spatial. This initiative aims to create highly precise digital maps of the physical world, enabling machines and robots to navigate and interact with their surroundings. The collected data, which users agree to in the terms of service, is being used to develop geospatial AI with potential applications for delivery robots, AR glasses, and even the military.
With over 30 billion images logged, Pokemon Go is using players' activity to train its spinout AI company to help GPS pinpointing: "I'm very focused on trying to re-create the real world"Niantic Spatial, a spinout from Pokemon Go developer Niantic, is using AR mapping data collected from players to train AI for improved GPS pinpointing. This technology aims to assist delivery robots, such as those from Coco Robotics, in navigating urban environments where GPS is less reliable. The company has trained its system on approximately 30 billion images captured by players, addressing concerns about data privacy by noting that players are informed about data collection for mapping purposes.