GIBD Lab Makes Strong Impact at the 2025 AAG Annual Meeting in Detroit

04/02/2025

The Geoinformation and Big Data Research Lab (GIBD) at Penn State had a great presence at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers (AAG), held in Detroit, Michigan, from March 24–28, 2025. Our lab organized and co-organized a total of 13 in-person sessions, centered around cutting-edge research in geospatial big data, spatial computing, autonomous GIS, human mobility, disaster management, and public health.

The sessions were very well attended, drawing strong attendance and sparking lots of great discussions. One highlight was our Panel session on “Generative AI in GIScience: Opportunities and Challenges Towards Autonomous GIS,” which packed the 100-seat room, and some people were standing in the back and lining the walls. It was a powerful moment that showed just how much interest is building around the emerging paradigm of autonomous GIS in GIScience.

These sessions contributed to the AAG Symposium on Spatial AI & Data Science for Sustainability and GeoAI and Deep Learning Symposium, where we explored how geospatial technologies and big data can help tackle some of today’s most pressing challenges, such as tracking infectious diseases, understanding human movement, and supporting urban resilience.

We thank all the speakers, moderators, and attendees who made this year’s conference an unforgettable success. We look forward to continuing these important conversations at future events!

GIBD team members and alumni at AAG 2025 in Detroit, Michigan.