A method for creating a reference map representation using an artificial neural network, wherein the neural network comprises an encoder and a decoder. The method includes: receiving point cloud data representing a point cloud of the environment of the motor vehicle that was created on the basis of a detection of an environment of a motor vehicle by an environmental sensor of the motor vehicle; receiving state data representing a state of the environmental sensor during the detection of the environment by the environmental sensor; training the encoder and the decoder on the basis of the point cloud data and the state data.