Job Check
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists
Research, study, and prepare maps and other spatial data in digital or graphic form for one or more purposes, such as legal, social, political, educational, and design purposes. May work with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). May design and evaluate algorithms, data structures, and user interfaces for GIS and mapping systems. May collect, analyze, and interpret geographic information provided by geodetic surveys, aerial photographs, and satellite data.
10 main tasks · most important first
Your main tasks and AI
Importance- 01Compile data required for map preparation, including aerial photographs, survey notes, records, reports, and original maps.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 02Delineate aerial photographic detail, such as control points, hydrography, topography, and cultural features, using precision stereoplotting apparatus or drafting instruments.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 03Prepare and alter trace maps, charts, tables, detailed drawings, and three-dimensional optical models of terrain using stereoscopic plotting and computer graphics equipment.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 04Study legal records to establish boundaries of local, national, and international properties.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 05Inspect final compositions to ensure completeness and accuracy.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 06Revise existing maps and charts, making all necessary corrections and adjustments.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 07Identify, scale, and orient geodetic points, elevations, and other planimetric or topographic features, applying standard mathematical formulas.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 08Collect information about specific features of the Earth, using aerial photography and other digital remote sensing techniques.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 09Examine and analyze data from ground surveys, reports, aerial photographs, and satellite images to prepare topographic maps, aerial-photograph mosaics, and related charts.AI could speed this up, with extra tools
- 10Build and update digital databases.People already use AI for this at work
Tasks from O*NET® 31.0 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0, changed by us), most important first. “Already use” comes from Anthropic’s data on real work chats with Claude; “could speed up” from task ratings made with GPT-4 in 2023.
Four studies, side by side
None is a forecast of job loss8%of this job’s work time goes to tasks that people already do with Claude at work, counting tasks where AI only helps as half (2026).Anthropic, 2026
52%of this job’s tasks an AI model could do in half the time, counting tasks that need extra tools as half (rated in 2023).Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, 2023
Above 61% of jobsin how often and how well AI helped with this job’s work in Microsoft Copilot chats (2024 data).Microsoft Research (Tomlinson et al.), 2025
Above 36% of jobsin how much of this job’s physical work robots have been shown to do, from factories to homes (2026).Anthropic, 2026
Your human edge
AI touches every main task of this job in some way. Your edge is judgment: knowing when AI’s work is right, and checking it before it counts.