Autonomous GIS: The Next-Generation AI-Powered GIS

This speech was delivered by Dr. Zhenlong Li at the 14th International Society for Digital Earth (#ISDE) International Lectures themed “Harnessing the Power of Generative AI in GIScience” on January 21, 2025. This event was organized by the International Society for Digital Earth (#ISDE), and supported by the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (#CBAS). It is a series of online events which feature invited lectures by well-known international experts in the field of Digital Earth. The event will invite speakers to give lectures every two months. The purpose of the events is to bring international scholars in the relevant research fields of Digital Earth together to exchange academic perspectives, share research results, and disseminate the most cutting-edge and authoritative concept of Digital Earth.
Dr. Zhenlong Li is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at the Pennsylvania State University, where he leads the Geoinformation and Big Data Research Laboratory (GIBD). Dr. Li is a broadly trained GIScientist with research focusing on #geospatial big data analytics, spatial computing, and geospatial AI. By developing and synthesizing advanced geospatial methods and computing technologies, his research aims to advance knowledge discovery and decision making to address a broad range of geographic questions about #hazards, #publichealth, population mobility, environment and #climatechange. Through his teaching and advising, Dr. Li seeks to equip the next generation of GIScientists and geographers with strong problem-solving skills through the integration of spatial thinking and computational thinking. Dr. Li’s contributions to research, teaching, and service have earned him various awards. He is a Fellow of the American Association of Geographers (#AAG), a recipient of the 2020 Breakthrough Star Award at USC, and was named one of the Geospatial World 50 Rising Stars by Geospatial Media and Communications in 2021.
To watch the ISDE International Lectures series, please see the ISDE web page at www.digitalear..., Any expert who is interested in giving a talk about Digital Earth is warmly welcomed. Each lecture will be 1.5 hours for 3 speakers, with 20 minutes for each speaker and about 30 minutes for questions. To make the talks close to the lecture theme, the speaker who applies to give a talk is encouraged to invite the other two experts who have similar research interests with him/her together surrounding the lecture theme. Anyone interested in giving lectures is heartened to fill and send the Application Form to the ISDE Secretariat ([e-mail]) at www.digitaleart....