Will AI replace Surveying and Mapping Technicians?
AI can do 65% of the work Surveying and Mapping Technicians do at least twice as fast. Real use has not caught up: none of their tasks show up in real AI use yet, but AI could speed up 27 of them. Robots can technically handle 3 physical tasks.
AI is already doing this0 · 0% of time
People already use AI for these tasks in real work, based on Anthropic's analysis of how Claude is used.
- Real AI use has not reached any of this job's tasks yet.
AI could do this next27 · 65% of time
AI can speed these up by at least half, but real use has not caught up yet. These are next in line.
- Set out and recover stakes, marks, or other monumentation.8% of time
- Record survey measurements or descriptive data, using notes, drawings, sketches, or inked tracings.5% of time
- Search for section corners, property irons, or survey points.5% of time
- Compile information necessary to stake projects for construction, using engineering plans.4% of time
- Collect information needed to carry out new surveys, using source maps, previous survey data, photographs, computer records, or other relevant information.4% of time
- Enter Global Positioning System (GPS) data, legal deeds, field notes, or land survey reports into geographic information system (GIS) workstations so that information can be transformed into graphic land descriptions, such as maps and drawings.4% of time
- Perform calculations to determine earth curvature corrections, atmospheric impacts on measurements, traverse closures or adjustments, azimuths, level runs, or placement of markers.4% of time
- Prepare topographic or contour maps of land surveyed, including site features and other relevant information, such as charts, drawings, and survey notes.4% of time
- Research and combine existing property information to describe property boundaries in relation to adjacent properties, taking into account parcel splits, combinations, or land boundary adjustments.3% of time
- Calculate latitudes, longitudes, angles, areas, or other information for mapmaking, using survey field notes or reference tables.3% of time
- Trace contours or topographic details to generate maps that denote specific land or property locations or geographic attributes.3% of time
- Answer questions and provide information to the public or to staff members regarding assessment maps, surveys, boundaries, easements, property ownership, roads, zoning, or similar matters.3% of time
- Supervise or coordinate activities of workers engaged in surveying, plotting data, drafting maps, or producing blueprints, photostats, or photographs.3% of time
- Check all layers of maps to ensure accuracy, identifying and marking errors and making corrections.1% of time
- Design or develop information databases that include geographic or topographic data.1% of time
- Monitor mapping work or the updating of maps to ensure accuracy, inclusion of new or changed information, or compliance with rules and regulations.1% of time
- Produce or update overlay maps to show information boundaries, water locations, or topographic features on various base maps or at different scales.1% of time
- Determine scales, line sizes, or colors to be used for hard copies of computerized maps, using plotters.1% of time
- Identify and compile database information to create requested maps.1% of time
- Operate and manage land-information computer systems, performing tasks such as storing data, making inquiries, and producing plots and reports.1% of time
- Compare survey computations with applicable standards to determine adequacy of data.1% of time
- Compare topographical features or contour lines with images from aerial photographs, old maps, or other reference materials to verify the accuracy of their identification.1% of time
- Provide assistance in the development of methods and procedures for conducting field surveys.1% of time
- Complete detailed source and method notes describing the location of routine or complex land parcels.1% of time
- Prepare cost estimates for mapping projects.1% of time
- Analyze aerial photographs to detect and interpret significant military, industrial, resource, or topographical data.under 1% of time
- Trim, align, and join prints to form photographic mosaics, maintaining scaled distances between reference points.under 1% of time
Robots can technically do this3 · 35% of time
Physical tasks that today's robots can perform in at least some settings. Robots are cost competitive for very few tasks so far, so this change moves slower.
- Adjust and operate surveying instruments such as prisms, theodolites, electronic distance measuring equipment, or electronic data collectors.Robots: purpose built settings15% of time
- Conduct surveys to ascertain the locations of natural features and man-made structures on the Earth's surface, underground, and underwater, using electronic distance-measuring equipment, such as GPS, and other surveying instruments.Robots: structured workplaces13% of time
- Position and hold the vertical rods, or targets, that theodolite operators use for sighting to measure angles, distances, and elevations.Robots: structured workplaces8% of time
Still needs a person0 · 0% 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.
- Every task in this job is touched by AI or robots in some way.
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.
What this means
AI can do most of this work faster, but a real part of the job still needs a person. Real use is still behind at 0 out of 100, so the change here is only getting started. The people who learn which tasks to hand off will pull ahead.
What to do next
- Get ahead on the 27 tasks AI could do next. These move as tools improve, so learning them early pays off.
- Keep an eye on the 3 physical tasks robots can technically do. Cost keeps most robots out of work today, so this shift is slower.
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