The Association for Geographic Information (AGI) has launched the Foresight Report 2030.
The report includes a warning and a roadmap for the next five years, urging action to close the widening skills gap in the UK’s geospatial sector.
The report shows that artificial intelligence is reshaping geospatial work by augmenting, not replacing, human expertise. However, the skills gap is growing. The shift to AI demands adaptation and upskilling, not just automation.
The report warns that climate resilience, urban planning, and defence are at risk without a new generation of geospatial talent. Young people are already engaging with mapping tools, with some entering consultancy work as early as age 13. However, education systems have not kept up.
Geospatial data underpins modern policy, powering climate adaptation, flood modelling, smart cities, and defence logistics. The report warns that without skilled professionals to interpret and apply this data, the UK risks stagnation in sectors vital to national resilience and growth.
Ordnance Survey is exploring curriculum partnerships and an AI academy model to future-proof its workforce. This reflects the broader need for flexible, future-ready skills across the sector.
University applications for geography rose between 2020 and 2023, with only a slight dip in 2025 — still above pre-pandemic levels. GCSE Geography remains the sixth most popular subject, while A-level Geography ranks twelfth across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Despite this, the report suggests that more must be done to embed geographical thinking into wider curricula and technical courses to make it truly mainstream.
As AI systems increasingly drive autonomous vehicles and national infrastructure, trust and provenance in geospatial data are becoming critical. The report warns that while AI can “join the dots,” it can also join them wrongly. Provenance — tracking the origin, transformation, and interaction history of data — is essential to safeguard accuracy.
The sector must also develop new standards for validation, auditability, and ethical use. The report likens AI to a new graduate: useful, but requiring guidance and oversight.
David Henderson, Chief Geospatial Officer, Ordnance Survey commented: “Geospatial has evolved into a set of multifunctional capabilities and expertise that underpin almost every aspect of modern life. The AGI Foresight Report is a timely opportunity to pause and reflect on how location data will help shape the UK’s digital economy. As a geospatial community, we must embrace AI, ensure data is trusted and traceable, and accelerate our commitment to future skills to enable better decisions across all sectors. As custodians of the national map of Britain, Ordnance Survey is committed to enabling and leading such change across the geospatial ecosystem - investing in data and technology to support the nation and in delivering real societal value."
