International Geographical Union · Draft Proposal
An ad-hoc IGU Task Force to advance geographically grounded, ethical, and internationally coordinated research, education, and application of Artificial Intelligence in Geography.
Rationale
The rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, deep learning, data mining and large-scale data analytics is profoundly transforming geographical research and practice, changing the way geographical information is collected, analysed and interpreted. Geography is inherently spatial, contextual, and multiscalar, making it uniquely positioned to contribute to and benefit from AI-driven analytical frameworks. The convergence of geography, geospatial technologies and AI has given rise to Geographical Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) — an emerging field focused on extracting knowledge from complex spatiotemporal data. AI enables the rapid analysis of vast and complex datasets, while GeoAI integrates this capability with spatial and spatiotemporal intelligence, allowing decision-makers to understand where, when, how and why risks and impacts occur.
GeoAI thrives on large-scale spatial datasets and computational tools to reveal patterns in climate variability, land use & land cover analysis, urban and regional studies, socio-economic processes, disaster risk, transportation and mobility, public health, environmental change, and sustainability science. Without open, FAIR data and responsible governance frameworks that protect individual privacy and respect data sovereignty, however, such insights risk being biased, exclusionary, or ethically problematic. The increasing operational use, policy relevance, and societal impact of GeoAI make this a timely moment to establish shared standards, governance frameworks, and coordinated international capacity-building efforts.
GeoAI research remains fragmented across disciplines and regions, and many AI-driven spatial studies lack explicit engagement with geographical theory, spatial reasoning, scale, place-based analysis, and human–environment interactions — while access to GeoAI expertise, computational resources, and training opportunities remains uneven, particularly in developing and least developed countries. A dedicated Task Force would ensure geographers take a leading role in the teaching, research, and governance of spatially explicit artificial intelligence, directly advancing IGU’s strategic objectives of consolidating international geographical knowledge and strengthening global cooperation.
Mission
To foster Geographical Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) by promoting the integration of geographical theory, spatial thinking, and AI methods, and by supporting responsible, inclusive, and internationally coordinated research, education, and applications.
Objectives
Promote shared conceptual frameworks and best practices that explicitly connect fundamental geographical concepts (location, space, place, scale, spatial pattern, and spatial interaction) with AI models, analytical workflows, and evaluation protocols.
Support the development, evaluation, and dissemination of modelling approaches, including shared benchmarks and uncertainty-aware validation practices, for research and decision-making on complex geographical processes (e.g. climate change, hazards, mobility, and socio-environmental systems).
Advance systems that respect geographical context and uncertainty, enhancing decision support and policy relevance across multiple spatial and temporal scales.
Encourage the use of open data, open platforms, open software, and reproducible workflows in accordance with FAIR principles, ensuring interoperability of data, methods, and tools across regions and disciplines.
Give particular attention to data privacy, geoprivacy, bias, transparency, and data sovereignty, especially when working with sensitive spatial and human-related data.
Build bridges between geographers, GIScientists, computer scientists, data scientists, social scientists, and practitioners, facilitating the global exchange of knowledge, expertise, and best practices in GeoAI.
Focus on early-career researchers and scholars from developing and least developed countries, through training, mentoring, and access to open resources and networks.
Enable spatially explicit assessment, monitoring, and evidence-based interventions addressing inequality, resilience, sustainability, and environmental change — the spatial inequality and context-dependent issues that general, non-spatial AI models struggle to handle.
Activities
Organizing regular GeoAI-focused scientific sessions, panels, and workshops at IGU Congresses, Regional Conferences and Thematic Conferences, along with a GeoAI webinar and symposia series (online/offline) to foster sustained international dialogue on theory, methods, and applications across physical and human geography.
Promoting the development, evaluation, and comparison of spatial and spatiotemporal GeoAI models for understanding, simulation, and future prediction. Encouraging research on explainable, interpretable AI, with emphasis on uncertainty, scale-dependence, and spatial heterogeneity, strengthening theory-informed and hybrid modelling frameworks — working closely with the IGU Commission on Modelling Geographical Systems.
Facilitating the sharing of open GeoAI datasets, benchmark problems, workflows, and model architectures in accordance with FAIR principles, in close cooperation with the IGU Commission on Geography of Digital Society and Connected World. Promoting the use and co-development of open platforms and open-source software for GeoAI research, education, and applied decision support, including transparent documentation, open code repositories, and standardized evaluation protocols.
Organizing focused discussions, panels, and guidance documents on ethical GeoAI — addressing data privacy, geoprivacy, bias, fairness, transparency, and responsible use of AI in spatial decision-making, based on IGU-SAFE principles. Contributing to best-practice recommendations for ethical data governance of human-centered, sensitive, and cross-border spatial data, and promoting data sovereignty, equity, and inclusive data-sharing practices.
Developing and delivering training workshops, short courses, and online tutorials on GeoAI theory, spatial modelling, and open tools, linked to IGU events where possible. Supporting mentoring, networking, and professional development for early-career researchers — including doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars from developing and least developed countries — with the IGU Commission on Young and Early Career Geographers (IYECG), Geographical Education, and Geographical Information Science.
Working Ecosystem
The GeoAI Task Force sits at the convergence of IGU vision and strategy, disciplinary expertise within IGU Commissions, and a wider ring of international partner organizations — ensuring activities remain scientifically robust, policy-relevant, ethically grounded, and globally collaborative.
At the core lies the GeoAI Task Force, the operational and intellectual hub for research, capacity building, and governance of AI in Geography. It is formally anchored within the IGU Statutes, which provide legitimacy and institutional continuity, and functions under the guidance of IGU Vision and Strategy. Flowing from the statutes are the Task Force working principles — ethical standards, inclusivity, transparency, interdisciplinarity, and responsible AI use — closely linked to the IGU Statement on Academic Freedom and Ethics (IGU-SAFE).
Supporting the Task Force are the IGU Commissions — Geographical Information Science, Modelling Geographical Systems, Geographical Education, and Geography of Digital Society & Connected World — each contributing domain-specific expertise while fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration.
A broader ring of sister organizations — UN-GGIM, UN-GKIC & UNITAR, ISC, CODATA & WDS, RDA, and ESRI & GeoUnions — provides complementary expertise, global standards, and platforms for collaboration, keeping GeoAI activities globally connected and aligned with international data and AI governance frameworks.
Task Force Duration
The Task Force is proposed for an initial period of four (4) years, in line with IGU practice for temporary bodies, subject to review by the IGU Executive Committee and possible renewal.
Ad-hoc Steering Committee
Assistant Secretary General, International Geographical Union (IGU); Professor, Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
Vice Director, Key Laboratory of Virtual Geographic Environment, Ministry of Education, PRC; Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
chenmin0902@163.comVice President, IGU; Governing Board Member, International Science Council; Department of Humanistic Studies, University of Federico II, Napoli, Italy
maria.paradiso@unina.itProfessor of Geography and Spatial Planning, Université Jean Monnet; Director, Netcom Journal; Chair, IGU Commission C16–24: Geography of Digital Society and Connected World
philippe.vidal@univ-st-etienne.frUrban Geography Commission, IGU; University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
mariajose.pineira@usc.esHazard and Risk Commission, IGU; Institute for Applied Mathematics and Information Technologies, Italian National Research Council (CNR), Italy
alessandro.mondini@ge.imati.cnr.it