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China’s anti-espionage agency alerts gamers to map data collection
Beijing’s Ministry of State Security issued a warning on Monday about an augmented reality game that may be harvesting geospatial scans. The scans could be used to train AI models with potential military applications.
South China Morning PostAudio version
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Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
China’s Ministry of State Security warned on Monday that an augmented reality game may be collecting geospatial data from users. The ministry said the data could be used to train AI models with battlefield applications. ” It stated that billions of environmental scans from a popular mobile game were being used for spatial AI training.
Details of the warning The ministry posted on social media that an AI company linked to the game had harvested user scans. It said the company had partnered with a foreign defence contractor. The ministry did not name the company. The description matches reports about Pokémon Go, developed by Niantic in partnership with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company.
Data collection and use Players were encouraged to scan and upload recordings of real-world locations for in-game rewards. Niantic Spatial, a spin-off from Niantic, owns nearly 30 billion scans from the game. Dutch media outlet Trouw reported this month that the scans were used to train a 3D model for precise navigation when GPS signals drop.
