Pokémon Go players have been training a world-faring AI model

Niantic, the developer behind Pokémon Go, has revealed that users have been contributing to the creation of an AI model. This Large Geospatial Model, as it is being referred to, is designed to traverse the physical world.

It has data collected from scans of real-world locations i.e. through spinning a Pokestop in order to create new types of AR experiences, according to a blog post from Niantic.The model requires you to specifically scan a location, so just walking around won't mean you're training the model, but eventually the AI will "enable computers not only to perceive and understand physical spaces, but also to interact with them in new ways, forming a critical component of AR glasses and fields beyond, including robotics, content creation and autonomous systems."

While it might just be designed for smart glasses, robotics, and similar fields, some are concerned with the potential wider applications. Of course, Niantic has no intention of using the model for such purposes now, and instead wishes to create a model for traversing the world.