AI exposure: Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians
Assist scientists or related professionals in building, maintaining, modifying, or using geographic information systems (GIS) databases. May also perform some custom application development or provide user support.
Reading this score
computedGeographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians sits in the top 0% of every occupation measured. 69.3% of what this job consists of, weighted by how important each task is to the role, is work current AI systems can produce with little standing in the way. Very few occupations score this high. The ones that do tend to share a trait: the output is a document, a calculation or a message, and nobody has to be in a particular room for it to count.
What holds the line here is context. Across this occupation's 29 tasks it averages 1.78 out of 3, the highest of the five friction dimensions. In plain terms, the work depends on knowledge the model cannot hold. Much of this job runs on things that were never written down: what this particular organisation does, what happened last week, what the person across the table actually meant. That context is the barrier, and it erodes as systems are given more access.
The most exposed thing this job does is Enter data into Geographic Information Systems (GIS) databases, at 86.7%. The least is Meet with clients to discuss topics such as technical specifications, customized solutions, or..., at 26.7%. A gap of 60.0% between two parts of the same job is the reason this index publishes at task level. An occupation-wide number would have hidden both.
Within computer and mathematical occupations, this one is more exposed than most. The median across the 36 roles in the group is 56.7%, and only 1 of them score higher than this. Occupational families are not uniform, and the spread inside them is often wider than the gap between them.
What would move this score. Of 29 tasks, 29 are currently banded exposed, 0 assisted and 0 untouched. For that distribution to shift materially would take systems being given deeper access to the organisation's own records and history, which is already happening. The score is re-computed every quarter against a fresh capability reference, and the change is published rather than quietly applied.
Task by task
29 tasks, O*NET 31.0| Task | Exposed | Assisted | Untouched | Importance | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enter data into Geographic Information Systems (GIS) databases, using techniques such as coordinate geometry, keyboard entry of tabular data, manual digitizing of maps, scanning or automatic conversion to vectors, or conversion of other sources of digital data. | 86.7% | 13.3% | 0.0% | 3.72 | exposed |
| Interpret aerial or ortho photographs. | 86.7% | 13.3% | 0.0% | 3.67 | exposed |
| Create, analyze, report, convert, or transfer data, using specialized applications program software. | 86.7% | 13.3% | 0.0% | 3.63 | exposed |
| Collect, compile, or integrate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data, such as remote sensing or cartographic data for inclusion in map manuscripts. | 86.7% | 13.3% | 0.0% | 3.36 | exposed |
| Perform integrated or computerized Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analyses to address scientific problems. | 86.7% | 13.3% | 0.0% | 3.33 | exposed |
| Maintain or modify existing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) databases. | 80.0% | 20.0% | 0.0% | 4.13 | exposed |
| Select cartographic elements needed for effective presentation of information. | 80.0% | 20.0% | 0.0% | 3.85 | exposed |
| Design or prepare graphic representations of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data, using GIS hardware or software applications. | 80.0% | 20.0% | 0.0% | 3.51 | exposed |
| Transfer or rescale information from original photographs onto maps or other photographs. | 80.0% | 20.0% | 0.0% | 3.36 | exposed |
| Create visual representations of geospatial data, using complex procedures such as analytical modeling, three-dimensional renderings, or plot creation. | 80.0% | 20.0% | 0.0% | 3.15 | exposed |
| Produce data layers, maps, tables, or reports, using spatial analysis procedures or Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, equipment, or systems. | 76.7% | 23.3% | 0.0% | 4.25 | exposed |
| Review existing or incoming data for currency, accuracy, usefulness, quality, or completeness of documentation. | 73.3% | 26.7% | 0.0% | 4.29 | exposed |
| Provide technical expertise in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to clients or users. | 73.3% | 26.7% | 0.0% | 3.51 | exposed |
| Design or coordinate the development of integrated Geographic Information Systems (GIS) spatial or non-spatial databases. | 73.3% | 26.7% | 0.0% | 3.46 | exposed |
| Provide technical support to users or clients regarding the maintenance, development, or operation of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) databases, equipment, or applications. | 73.3% | 26.7% | 0.0% | 3.32 | exposed |
| Develop specialized computer software routines, internet-based Geographic Information Systems (GIS) databases, or business applications to customize geographic information. | 73.3% | 26.7% | 0.0% | 3.32 | exposed |
| Apply three-dimensional (3D) or four-dimensional (4D) technologies to geospatial data to allow for new or different analyses or applications. | 67.1% | 20.4% | 12.5% | 2.88 | exposed |
| Design, program, or model Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications or procedures. | 65.2% | 26.5% | 8.3% | 3.57 | exposed |
| Read current literature, talk with colleagues, continue education, or participate in professional organizations or conferences to keep abreast of developments in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, equipment, or systems. | 65.0% | 10.0% | 25.0% | 3.29 | exposed |
| Perform computer programming, data analysis, or software development for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications, including the maintenance of existing systems or research and development for future enhancements. | 61.3% | 26.2% | 12.5% | 3.37 | exposed |
| Document, design, code, or test Geographic Information Systems (GIS) models, internet mapping solutions, or other applications. | 55.6% | 27.8% | 16.7% | 3.27 | exposed |
| Prepare training materials for, or make presentations to, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) users. | 55.0% | 20.0% | 25.0% | 3.13 | exposed |
| Perform geospatial data building, modeling, or analysis, using advanced spatial analysis, data manipulation, or cartography software. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.55 | exposed |
| Confer with users to analyze, configure, or troubleshoot applications. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.43 | exposed |
| Recommend procedures, equipment, or software upgrades to increase data accessibility or ease of use. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 3.04 | exposed |
| Make recommendations regarding upgrades, considering implications of new or revised Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software, equipment, or applications. | 50.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 2.92 | exposed |
| Conduct research, data analysis, systems design, or support for software such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) or Global Positioning Systems (GPS) mapping software. | 47.5% | 27.5% | 25.0% | 3.30 | exposed |
| Assist users in formulating Geographic Information Systems (GIS) requirements or understanding the implications of alternatives. | 40.0% | 35.0% | 25.0% | 3.23 | exposed |
| Meet with clients to discuss topics such as technical specifications, customized solutions, or operational problems. | 26.7% | 23.3% | 50.0% | 3.53 | exposed |
Task text and importance ratings sourced from O*NET 31.0. Shares computed. The occupation score is the importance-weighted mean.
Where the score comes from
judgedEvery task is scored through the standardised work activities it maps to. These are this occupation’s averages on the six rubric dimensions. Capability is what AI can do; the other five are what stands in the way.
| Dimension | Mean | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | 3.59 | 0-4 |
| Embodiment | 0.07 | 0-3 |
| Presence | 0.19 | 0-3 |
| Accountability | 0.53 | 0-3 |
| Context | 1.78 | 0-3 |
| Verification cost | 1.27 | 0-3 |
What this means in practice
Where most of a role's weighted task load is exposed, the work that survives is usually the part of the job nobody wrote into the job description: deciding what should be produced rather than producing it, and being answerable for the result. The tasks lowest on this page are a better guide to where to spend your time than any general advice about the future of work.
Occupations either side of this one
The four closest scores in the same occupational family, then the four closest anywhere in the index.
Read this carefully. Exposure is not displacement. A high score means current AI systems can produce this work, not that anyone will stop paying a person to do it. Adoption depends on economics, regulation and inertia that this index deliberately does not model. How the score is built.