Military drones trained by Pokémon Go?

Since 2016, Niantic's Pokémon Go game has sent players into the streets of the world to catch the famous creatures in "real life." Huge buzz, huge success, and, in parallel, a way for developers to precisely map urban labyrinths. This data is now being used to help pizza delivery robots, we know that, but has it also been used for less ethical purposes, such as helping military drones locate themselves in urban areas? "Poké what?" No, assures Niantic Spatial—the artificial intelligence subsidiary founded by Niantic in May 2025—responding to an allegation by the Dutch media outlet Trouw, which cites a recent partnership between Niantic and Vantor, a company linked to the defense sector. The two companies are working together on technologies that allow autonomous vehicles—drones or mine-clearing robots—to navigate in locations without reliable GPS. “While we have an agreement with Vantor, announced last December, it is still in its very early stages, and sharing this data is not part of the agreement,” a company spokesperson told IGN. “We are committed to working with all our customers and partners to ensure that Niantic Space products are used responsibly in a way that supports human rights and ethical principles.” So rest assured, Pokémon hunters haven't given a boost to the killing machines of tomorrow. At least, that's what we're told…