The GeoAI Revolution: Charting the 2030 Geospatial Workforce Landscape

Artificial intelligence is rapidly redrawing the boundaries of the geospatial industry, unlocking powerful new insights and efficiencies at an unprecedented scale. Yet, beneath the veneer of technological marvel and the often-touted narrative of 'AI augmentation,' a more profound and unsettling transformation is underway for its workforce. This investigation delves into the stark realities of how AI and machine learning are not just reshaping, but in many cases, actively replacing traditional geospatial roles, forcing a critical reevaluation of skills, careers, and the very future of human expertise in mapping and understanding our world. As the AI wave crests, the line between assistant and successor is becoming increasingly, and for some, alarmingly, clear.