Pokémon Go Scans Quietly Trained the Navigation Tech Now Headed Into Military Drones
Summary
The article reveals how Pokémon Go scans were used to train a Visual Positioning System for GPS-denied drone navigation, and details a partnership between Niantic Spatial and defense contractor Vantor to merge ground and aerial navigation data. It raises ethical and privacy concerns about data consent and licensing, highlighting the opaque pathways from consumer data to military applications.