Pokémon Go Players Helped Build a New AI—And They Had No Idea

Players scanned PokéStops; Niantic collected data for its next big AI project.

Remember Pokémon Go?

Back in 2016, it seemed like everyone was wandering the streets, phones in hand, trying to catch virtual creatures superimposed onto the real world. It was a viral phenomenon that got people outside, exploring their neighborhoods and experiencing augmented reality on a massive scale.

2016 was wild, man.

But what if I told you that thos…