Back in 2016, Pokémon Go turned our neighborhoods into battlegrounds for virtual monsters. But was Niantic secretly playing a different game?
Turns out, Pokémon Go might’ve been more about data than catching ‘em all, and players are now wondering: Were we just pawns in Niantic’s AR experiment?
The Hidden Data Collection
While we were hunting for Charmanders, Niantic quietly collected location and AR data, even when we weren’t actively playing.
This data fed their Large Geospatial Model (LGM)—a tool used for AI systems like self-driving cars and AR glasses. Niantic insists that your personal info is safe, but critics aren’t convinced.
Was Pokémon Go just a beta test for their tech? If so, we definitely deserve more than just a shiny Pikachu for our trouble.
Pawns in an AI Experiment?
Pokémon Go seemed like a simple, fun game, but now it feels more like a bait-and-switch. Niantic insists they don’t sell personal data, but their shady data-mining practices have left players wondering if they were unknowingly part of an AI experiment. Niantic may have blurred the lines between gaming and research, making it feel like a global test of AR tech.
In the end, Pokémon Go might have been more than just a game—it could have been the ultimate augmented reality hustle. So, next time you click “I agree” to a user agreement, maybe think twice before scanning that next PokéStop.
