AI Enhances Mapping Intelligence

As an essential tool for understanding and recording Earth’s spatial information, maps are undergoing profound changes under the influence of artificial intelligence. On the occasion of the 57th Earth Day, Wang Jiayao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a pioneer in cartography and geographic information engineering in China, published an article titled “Empowering Mapping Science with Artificial Intelligence” in the Journal of Surveying and Mapping. The article systematically discusses how AI is driving mapping science into a new phase of digital intelligence, aiding the modernization of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

Wang Jiayao has dedicated 70 years to teaching and researching mapping-related fields. He is one of the founders of computer cartography in China, having established the country’s first computer cartography program and created the first computer-generated topographic map. He has experienced and led every significant transformation in Chinese cartography. Over the past 70 years, he has not only trained numerous talents in mapping and geographic information science but has also promoted China’s mapping science from imitation to independent innovation with a rigorous scientific spirit. He firmly believes that maps, along with music and painting, are among the three universal languages of humanity, representing one of mankind’s greatest innovations.

In his paper, Wang Jiayao and his research team, grounded in the context of rapid AI technological advancement, propose a critical judgment: the deep integration of AI and mapping science will propel the digital intelligence transformation of mapping science into a new stage. They elaborate on three specific pathways through which AI empowers mapping science. First, the integration of AI and brain science will accelerate the deepening of foundational theoretical research in mapping science, making cartography smarter. Second, the latest advancements in brain-like intelligence and computing provide strong technical support for overcoming the bottleneck issues in the digital intelligence process of mapping science. Finally, the rapid development of deep learning and generative AI opens up broader application spaces for digital mapping. He believes that this empowerment is not merely an upgrade of tools but a systematic transformation of map design, cartographic processes, and service models.

Wang Jiayao emphasizes the core concept of “human-centered” design, proposing that digital mapping must strengthen human-machine collaboration. He argues that regardless of technological advancements, maps remain products of human understanding of the world, with their embedded knowledge, culture, and logical reasoning relying on human creativity. AI should serve as a powerful assistant to humans rather than a replacement. The future of digital mapping should achieve a combination of “human brain wisdom + computer intelligence,” leveraging AI’s strengths in data processing and rapid computation while retaining human authority in value judgment and aesthetic expression.

Wang Jiayao believes that empowering mapping science with AI is a strategic, long-term, and sustainable systemic project. In various fields such as natural resource investigation and monitoring, land spatial planning, ecological civilization construction, disaster emergency response, and smart city management, high-quality and efficient mapping services are indispensable foundational supports. Through close collaboration with AI, mapping science can more quickly, accurately, and intelligently reflect changes in natural resources, provide ecological risk warnings, and assist in scientific decision-making, thus providing solid technical support for safeguarding a beautiful China. Maps are not only the infrastructure for national governance and social operation, recording the changes of the nation, but also the core carrier of temporal and spatial information, embodying the collective memory of the nation.

He once stated, “We have a civilization history of four to five thousand years, and maps have accompanied this history. This is the result of countless scientists’ efforts and the foundation of our cultural confidence.” He hopes to make maps a source of pride for every Chinese person.

Now, at nearly 90 years old, Wang Jiayao remains active in research, continuously focusing on and promoting the intersection of AI and mapping science. Looking ahead, as cutting-edge results are implemented, people can expect to receive intelligent mapping services that “understand you.” Under the empowerment of AI, mapping science is increasingly safeguarding our only home in a smarter and more precise way, contributing to the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature in a beautiful new landscape of China.