What is geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI)?
Jan 2025
Jan 2025
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Imagine understanding locations of interest with just a few clicks — no more lengthy site visits or guesswork.
That’s the power of geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI). By blending artificial intelligence with geographic information systems (GIS), GeoAI transforms how we analyze and interpret geospatial data. Automatically detecting materials, conditions, and spatial patterns, GeoAI speeds up decision-making and gives businesses the tools they need to act smarter and faster. For industries like insurance, government services, and urban planning, it’s a true game-changer that is reshaping how organizations approach spatial analysis.
What is AI in GIS technology?
AI in GIS is a way to take traditional geographic systems to the next level. By layering machine learning over vast spatial data, it’s no longer just about looking at maps but uncovering actionable insights from aerial imagery. With AI-powered location intelligence, you can instantly detect key features like solar panels, roof materials, or surface permeability. This means less manual work and more time focusing on what matters: making decisions based on accurate, up-to-date information.
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What is the role of AI in GIS?
AI’s role in GIS is to completely transform how industries use geospatial data. Gone are the traditional methods of relying solely on static maps or historical geospatial data. Today, AI can analyze complex datasets across huge areas, automatically detect property features, and provide real-time insights. GeoAI-based solutions, for instance, can identify everything from roof pitch to vegetation, giving decision-makers the critical data they need for planning, asset management, and risk assessments.
How can GIS use artificial intelligence?
GeoAI offers practical ways to use AI in GIS:
- Automate mapping and feature detection: With AI, property features, such as building structures and yard objects, can be detected automatically, speeding up workflows and cutting out the need for manual inspections.
- Efficient workflow integration: GeoAI insights can seamlessly integrate its insights with existing GIS platforms through APIs or vector layers, enriching your data and making project management more efficient.
- Frequent updates: Say goodbye to outdated data. Aerial imagery is refreshed multiple times a year in urban areas, so you’re always working with current, accurate information.
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What are the benefits of GeoAI?
GeoAI is changing the way industries operate by delivering faster, more accurate, and scalable solutions:
- Time savings: Automated AI insights eliminate the need for time-consuming onsite inspections, allowing users to assess property conditions remotely and make quick, informed decisions.
- Comprehensive analysis: GeoAI offers detailed analysis, instantly detecting features across 87% of the population. This gives you a complete picture of your site’s condition.
- Improved accuracy: Nearmap AI has been trained over 13 years on a massive dataset of 1.42 million images, powering greater reliability and accuracy
- Scalable solutions: Whether you’re analyzing a single building or an entire city, GeoAI scales to meet your needs, delivering the insights you need to tackle projects of any size.
GeoAI for insurance: Transforming risk assessments and underwriting
When it comes to insurance, GeoAI is particularly powerful. AI-powered imagery helps insurers quickly assess property risks, speed up claims processing, and improve underwriting accuracy. For example, by detecting roof conditions or solar panels from aerial imagery, insurers can evaluate a property’s risk profile without needing to visit the site. This leads to faster claims processing and more accurate decisions — benefiting both insurers and policyholders.
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Not just for insurance — GeoAI is also invaluable for government services. With precise, real-time data, government agencies can monitor infrastructure, plan public works, and manage transport systems more effectively. The benefits are clear, from maintaining compliance to improving service delivery.
Nearmap GeoAI technologies offer precise, AI-powered insights that help companies understand locations more deeply without conducting labor-intensive on-site inspections. By automating the detection of over 130 property features, from roof conditions to vegetation, GeoAI is reshaping how industries approach spatial analysis.
Ready to learn how you could maximize your insights with GeoAI?