In recent years, the gaming world has evolved to incorporate artificial intelligence in ways never seen before. Pokémon Go, a widely popular augmented reality game, has become an unexpected player in this AI revolution. As millions of people roam the streets hunting for virtual creatures, their actions are helping to train giant AI models.
Pokemon Go, made by Niantic, uses technology called Visual Positioning System (VPS) to figure out where a player’s phone is and which direction it’s facing. This system depends on the photos players take while they play the game. Every time players scan a location or take a photo of a Pokemon, they provide useful data that helps create a detailed 3D map of the world.
Data collected from millions of these interactions is used to train AI models that can infer the structure and appearance of buildings and other physical objects. For example, if an AI has an image of the front of a church, it can use its knowledge of similar structures to predict what the back of the church looks like. The ability to fill in missing details is critical to creating accurate and detailed maps.
Niantic’s large map model can be used for many purposes other than just gaming. It can support city planning, delivery services and even virtual reality. By knowing how cities are laid out and where buildings are located, AI can help with better navigation, improve delivery routes, and create more realistic virtual experiences.
Pokemon Go giant AI model
Using Pokemon Go to train AI models has important implications for both the gaming industry and AI research. For the gaming industry, it demonstrates the potential of using player data to enhance game features and create more immersive experiences. This approach can be applied to other games, leading to a new era of AI-driven gaming.
However, the use of this data is not without controversy. Some critics say players may not be fully aware of how their data is being used and that there may be privacy concerns. There are also concerns that such detailed map data could be used for less benign purposes, such as military applications.
There are important ethical issues when using data from many people to train AI. It’s important to ensure data is used responsibly and that everyone benefits from AI innovations. Understanding how AI works and being responsible for it will help maintain people’s trust in these technologies.
Pokemon Go isn’t just an entertaining game, it’s also a way to collect data that can help train AI systems. Player activities provide a wealth of information that can be used to develop advanced technology. This combination of gaming and AI is beneficial but also raises privacy issues. As we play, it’s important to think about how our digital activities affect the future of technology.