Will AI replace Cartographers and Photogrammetrists?

AI can do 85% of the work Cartographers and Photogrammetrists do at least twice as fast. People already use it for 2 of their 14 tasks, while 10 more are ready but barely used so far. 2 still need a person.

AI is already doing this2 · 12% of time

People already use AI for these tasks in real work, based on Anthropic's analysis of how Claude is used.

  • Build and update digital databases.Mostly automated11% of time
  • Determine guidelines that specify which source material is acceptable for use.Mostly automated1% of time

AI could do this next10 · 73% of time

AI can speed these up by at least half, but real use has not caught up yet. These are next in line.

  • Examine and analyze data from ground surveys, reports, aerial photographs, and satellite images to prepare topographic maps, aerial-photograph mosaics, and related charts.12% of time
  • Prepare and alter trace maps, charts, tables, detailed drawings, and three-dimensional optical models of terrain using stereoscopic plotting and computer graphics equipment.12% of time
  • Revise existing maps and charts, making all necessary corrections and adjustments.11% of time
  • Compile data required for map preparation, including aerial photographs, survey notes, records, reports, and original maps.11% of time
  • Determine map content and layout, as well as production specifications such as scale, size, projection, and colors, and direct production to ensure that specifications are followed.8% of time
  • Delineate aerial photographic detail, such as control points, hydrography, topography, and cultural features, using precision stereoplotting apparatus or drafting instruments.7% of time
  • Collect information about specific features of the Earth, using aerial photography and other digital remote sensing techniques.5% of time
  • Select aerial photographic and remote sensing techniques and plotting equipment needed to meet required standards of accuracy.3% of time
  • Study legal records to establish boundaries of local, national, and international properties.3% of time
  • Travel over photographed areas to observe, identify, record, and verify all relevant features.1% of time

Still needs a person2 · 15% of time

No real AI use, no proven AI speedup and no robot that can do it yet. This is the part of the job to build on.

  • Inspect final compositions to ensure completeness and accuracy.8% of time
  • Identify, scale, and orient geodetic points, elevations, and other planimetric or topographic features, applying standard mathematical formulas.7% of time

Your week is not the average

Describe what you actually do and get a personal report: your own tasks, what AI can already do, what stays yours and a 90 day plan.

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What this means

AI can already do almost all of this work at least twice as fast. Real use is still behind at 11 out of 100, so the change here is only getting started. Expect the role to shift toward deciding what to do, checking AI's work and owning the result.

What to do next

  • Do the 2 tasks AI is already handling with AI yourself. Your peers already are, and it is quickly becoming the baseline.
  • Get ahead on the 10 tasks AI could do next. These move as tools improve, so learning them early pays off.
  • Build on the 2 tasks that stay human. This is where your judgment, skill and relationships matter most.
Surveyors71%Geodetic Surveyors65%Architects, Except Landscape and Naval71%Landscape Architects67%Environmental Engineers85%Bioengineers and Biomedical Engineers83%

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