Pokémon Go Players Aid in Training AI Models to Visualise the World
Pokémon Go players are unknowingly assisting in training AI models to visualise the physical world. Niantic is leveraging 3D data from the game to create a geospatial model for AI. The geospatial model aims to replicate human spatial understanding for AI applications.
Niantic, the developer of Pokémon Go, recently shared in a blog post how they are utilising the 3D data collected from the game to construct a comprehensive geospatial model.
This geospatial model aims to replicate human-like spatial understanding, enabling AI to predict and infer missing parts of a scene or imagine locations from different perspectives. Niantic's staff scientist Eric Brachmann and chief scientist Victor Adrian Prisacariu highlighted the challenges AI faces in visualising and inferring incomplete details compared to humans.
The geospatial model capitalises on Niantic's Visual Positioning System (VPS) integrated into games like Pokémon Go. This system can determine a smartphone's position and orientation with centimeter-level accuracy using a single image from the camera. Players engage with VPS features like Pokémon Playgrounds, where virtual Pokémon can be placed in specific locations for others to discover, generating a vast repository of 3D data.
Niantic boasts having 10 million scanned locations globally, with over 1 million activated for use with the VPS service. The company receives approximately 1 million new scans weekly, each comprising hundreds of distinct images. This data is pivotal for the geospatial model to enhance mapped buildings by filling in missing details effectively.
For instance, if only the front entrance of a church is mapped, the geospatial model could intelligently predict the appearance of the building's rear based on its understanding of similar structures. Niantic envisions various applications for these large geospatial models, ranging from gaming to spatial planning and logistics.
Despite the positive implications, concerns have been raised about the potential misuse of this technology, with fears that it could be leveraged by the military. Elise Thomas, a senior intelligence analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, expressed apprehension on Twitter, suggesting that AI systems trained using Pokémon Go data might be utilised in automated weapons systems.
Pokémon Go players are unknowingly assisting in training AI models to visualise the physical world.
Niantic is leveraging 3D data from the game to create a geospatial model for AI.
The geospatial model aims to replicate human spatial understanding for AI applications.
Source: FORBES