{"id":775076,"date":"2026-09-18T14:15:17","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T21:15:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=arcwatch&p=775076"},"modified":"2026-09-28T10:04:51","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T17:04:51","slug":"how-geospatial-ai-is-transforming-common-gis-workflows","status":"publish","type":"arcwatch","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch\/how-geospatial-ai-is-transforming-common-gis-workflows","title":{"rendered":"How Geospatial AI Is Transforming Common GIS Workflows"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":5342,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","transcript_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","castos_file_data":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[369852],"tags":[493487,492232,493599,20422,474662],"arcwatch_issues":[493591],"class_list":["post-775076","arcwatch","type-arcwatch","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-artificial-intelligence--ai","tag-agentic-ai","tag-ai-assistants","tag-ai-models","tag-arcgis-pro","tag-geospatial-ai","arcwatch_issues-september-2026","arcwatch_sections-the-geospatial-report"],"acf":{"short_description":"New AI-driven capabilities in ArcGIS let you extract information at scale, understand patterns, and automate processes to boost efficiency.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"GIS professionals from across the globe gathered in San Diego, California, July 13\u201317 for the 2026 Esri User Conference (Esri UC). Centered on the theme \u201cGIS\u2014Creating a more intelligent world,\u201d the event brought together thousands of GIS practitioners, experts, and thought leaders as well as virtual attendees to discover the latest advances in GIS technology, connect with colleagues, and get hands-on experience with Esri products.\r\n\r\nArtificial intelligence (AI) was a popular topic, and one message was clear: AI needs GIS. Speakers on the opening day of the conference emphasized that AI models require authoritative geospatial data to deliver accurate results, noting that AI is only as good as the data behind it. Geospatial AI integrates the power of GIS and AI across organizations and workflows.\r\n\r\nAt Esri, three pillars comprise the geospatial AI capabilities available in ArcGIS: AI assistants enhance user experience, AI tools and models advance the science of GIS, and agentic AI expands the impact of GIS across organizations. With these new AI-driven capabilities, users can extract information at scale, quickly understand patterns and relationships, automate workflows, and ultimately make GIS easier to use.\r\n\r\n\u201cAI is already transforming GIS,\u201d says Ismael Chivite, Esri product manager for geospatial AI. \u201cIt\u2019s making it easier through the assistants. It\u2019s making it more powerful with new AI tools and models. And we are making GIS more impactful than ever before through agentic mapping applications that are easy to use.\u201d"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":775080,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

A User-Centered Approach<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nThe new AI-powered assistants, agents, and tools from Esri are designed with users in mind. They are first released in beta so users can provide feedback on how they\u2019re working and suggest additional functionality. This helps Esri build a product based on what people need.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe really listen to user feedback and want to make sure users are involved when it comes to the development of new capabilities like AI,\u201d says Jett Legacion, associate product marketing manager for geospatial AI at Esri.\r\n\r\nThe team also focuses on equipping external AI agents with geospatial tools, enabling interoperability. AI that is grounded in geographic context helps deliver strong location insights for better decision-making, says Chivite.\r\n

AI Assistants for Your Everyday Tasks<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nThe latest assistants available in ArcGIS help users navigate workflows and easily carry out tasks like coding and creating metadata. They are included with user types and are available to use in ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro, with ArcGIS Enterprise coming soon.\r\n\r\nHere\u2019s how each assistant can help you do your work and boost your productivity.\r\n\r\nAI in ArcGIS Pro<\/em><\/strong>\r\n\r\nThe ArcGIS Pro assistant, designed for anyone who uses ArcGIS Pro daily, helps you build charts, run analysis, and change symbology using natural language prompts."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":775083,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Structured Query Language (SQL) is a programming language used to retrieve, filter, and manipulate data\u00a0stored in rows and columns inside a database. With the ArcGIS Pro assistant, users can query their data more efficiently using SQL and answer questions about documentation for ArcGIS.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe answers can help you better understand ArcGIS and save time by retrieving relevant information when you need it,\u201d says Legacion. \u201cFor example, you can submit a question about how to do a particular workflow and ask for suggestions on how to complete it, all within ArcGIS Pro.\u201d\r\n\r\nCoding Support in ArcGIS Notebooks<\/em><\/strong>\r\n\r\nArcGIS Notebooks provides an integrated Jupyter Notebook environment inside the ArcGIS ecosystem that runs, documents, and shares Python code for spatial analysis and data science. The ArcGIS Notebooks assistant helps you write, explain, and learn code faster using natural language prompts\u2014without leaving the notebook.\r\n\r\nThe assistant also helps you troubleshoot and fix coding errors, which is a significant pain point for developers, those just beginning to code, or anyone learning programming languages."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":775084,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Metadata Creation<\/em><\/strong>\r\n\r\nCurrently in beta, the Item Details assistant is a tool for creating effective metadata. Good metadata makes your content easier for both people and AI to find, understand, and use, so anyone who owns and creates content like maps and layers in ArcGIS can benefit from using this tool.\r\n\r\nMetadata is also key in map production. When you bring data into applications such as Map Viewer, accurate metadata for feature layers and descriptions helps the map and any pop-ups look their best by conveying clear information.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt helps AI discover your items, and it\u2019s able to understand and use them more effectively,\u201d says Legacion. \u201cIf an AI agent has access to poorly described data, it may struggle to answer questions accurately. Good metadata provides the context it needs to better understand the data and deliver higher-quality answers.\u201d"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":775085,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"The Suggest button for fields automatically creates improved display names, descriptions, and value types. This feature also reads your layer and drafts the metadata for you, returning the suggested text so you can review, approve, and save it in seconds. This tool is available now in ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise 12.0 and is coming soon to ArcGIS Enterprise 12.2.\r\n

Agentic AI<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nAgentic AI aims to expand the reach of GIS in two ways. First, it powers agentic mapping apps to make geospatial workflows more accessible and intuitive for users. Second, it makes geospatial knowledge and tools available to third-party AI agents through Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open-source standard that connects AI apps to external systems. MCP support is available now as a beta for ArcGIS Location Platform and ArcGIS Enterprise, with ArcGIS Online coming soon.\r\n\r\nNewer GIS users who may not be familiar with workflows like querying data, as well as experienced users in search of help or suggestions, can now use natural language to get assistance. Users can ask questions in a chat for a conversational experience. The built-in agents provide answers and show the results on a map so users can better see patterns and trends.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe powerful insights gained from GIS can now be made easily accessible thanks to the conversational experiences,\u201d says Legacion.\r\n\r\nWhile ArcGIS includes ready-to-use geospatial agents for data exploration and navigation, users can also create their own. The AI components for the ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript, available in beta, allow users to interact with a web map<\/a> using natural language. Additionally, the AI components in the JavaScript Maps SDK\u2014including the Navigation Agent<\/a>, Data Exploration Agent<\/a>, and Help Agent<\/a>\u2014let users explore web maps via natural language interactions.\r\n\r\nThe ArcGIS Instant Apps Data Explorer template is a new way to create agentic mapping apps for map and data exploration. You can now interact with your map using an AI-powered chat interface. This no-code solution is currently in beta for ArcGIS Online and will be released in beta in ArcGIS Enterprise 12.2.\r\n

AI Solutions for Your Work<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nChivite encourages organizations to adopt AI tools and solutions at their own pace. He says that Esri\u2019s focus is on building useful applications for AI that people can use whenever they choose to.\r\n\r\n\u201cWe don\u2019t rush AI tools to our users, and we don\u2019t want our users to rush in adopting them either,\u201d he says. \u201cWhen they\u2019re ready, they can reach out to Esri for help identifying where these tools can help them in their business workflows.\u201d\r\n\r\nLegacion believes that the new AI-driven tools, models, and assistants will enable users to work faster and even complete tasks they may not have been able to do before.\r\n\r\n\u201cThese tools make GIS more accessible to users across the world and to people who may have no idea what GIS is,\u201d she says. \u201cI think that\u2019s the most exciting part.\u201d\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nHelpful Resources<\/u><\/strong>\r\n\r\nAI Needs Geography\u2014and You\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcnews\/ai-needs-geography-and-you<\/a>\r\n\r\nThe Next Era of AI and ArcGIS\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcnews\/the-next-era-of-ai-and-arcgis<\/a>\r\n\r\nTrusted AI in ArcGIS\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/trust.arcgis.com\/en\/trusted-ai\/trusted-ai.htm<\/a>\r\n\r\nEsri\u2019s Approach to Responsible AI\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis\/geoai\/esris-approach-responsible-ai-enterprise<\/a>"}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"\nHow Geospatial AI Is Transforming Common GIS Workflows<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"New AI-driven capabilities in ArcGIS let you extract information at scale, understand patterns, and automate processes to boost efficiency.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/arcwatch\/how-geospatial-ai-is-transforming-common-gis-workflows\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" 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