AI and Geographers

AI is everywhere in the news in the last few weeks in particular.

Microsoft research produced a report recently which included geographers on a list of professions which would be particularly affected by AI because of the nature of what they do. That might be positively or negatively....

Trisalyn Nelson has published a robust defence of 'geographers' and why we will always be required ahead of any artificial intelligence because of our actual geographical intelligence. It was published in the Santa Barbara Independent.

She is the Director of the Center for Spatial Studies and Data Science & Dangermond Chair of Geography - University of California, Santa Barbara

As she says in her piece.

In 2025, being a geographer is about using the lens of place and a systems approach to people and the planet to solve some of our most pressing challenges. From affordable housing and sustainable businesses to food security and physical security, geographers are actively working across organizations and agencies to map a better future.

Geographers have historically been hard to spot, which means they’re not top of mind. After all, nobody hangs a shingle that says “geographer for hire.” But geographers work in many fields and across all levels of agencies. Geographers solve health epidemics, triage resources during disasters, manage water availability, track supply chains, and find optimal locations for everything from conservation areas to the best place to open a new coffee shop. Geography touches every industry you can imagine, and the approaches to solving location problems are just as diverse.

AI is not replacing the geographer; it is super-charging the geographer. Geographers are poised to have the biggest impact on communities, businesses, and the planet in decades.

This New Yorker piece also explores the value of the Humanities.

Thanks to Ryan Bate for the tipoff there.