An AI model trained on location data gathered through Pokémon Go is being positioned for use in drone navigation, according to a partnership between Niantic Spatial and Vantor. The companies say the system is meant to help drones and other autonomous systems operate where GPS signals are weak, unavailable, spoofed or jammed.
The arrangement has drawn attention because the underlying training data came from a game that millions of people played as a consumer app, not a defense product.
Pokémon Go launched in 2016 and became a global hit by blending augmented reality with real-world movement. In a 2021 update, the game added a feature that let players scan physical locations, such as PokéStops, in exchange for rewards. Users had to opt in before uploading those scans.
Niantic, the company behind Pokémon Go, later sold its gaming division in 2025. Before that sale, it collected the scan data and used it to train AI systems designed to understand and interpret physical spaces.
Niantic Spatial, a spin-off from Niantic, announced in December that it was working with Vantor, a company focused on spatial detection software for drones. Vantor's technology is used in part by military customers. The companies say the goal is to improve navigation and coordination in places where satellite positioning is unreliable or unavailable.
In its announcement, the partnership described GPS disruption as a major operational problem for autonomous systems and field teams. Vantor said its tools are intended to help maintain situational awareness when satellite signals cannot be trusted.
Peter Wilczynski, Vantor's chief product officer, said in a December interview that modern battlefields require systems that can be updated quickly and that new software can be brought online faster than new hardware.
Both companies told Guardian Australia that the PokéStop scans were not passed directly to Vantor as part of the deal. They said the scans were instead used to train Niantic's foundation models. A Niantic Spatial spokesperson said the scans were submitted voluntarily by players who chose to use the feature and were governed by the terms and privacy policy in place at the time.
The deal has raised questions about how data gathered in civilian apps can be repurposed for defense-related technologies. Tom Sulston, head of policy at Digital Rights Watch, said the case shows why users need stronger protections, noting that many people do not read lengthy terms and conditions before playing a game.
Sulston argued that regulators should focus on rules such as whether a data use is in the user's best interests or is fair and reasonable.
Dr Rob Nicholls, a senior researcher associated with the University of Sydney's Centre for AI, trust and governance, said the example may be part of a broader trend in which data collected by apps is later used for different purposes. He pointed to earlier reporting that fitness app Strava data had been used to help identify military facilities.
Vantor said in February that it had won a contract with the US Army worth up to US$217 million for training software. Niantic sold its gaming division to Saudi Arabian-owned Scopely for US$3.5 billion in 2025.
The companies said the partnership is still in its early stages.