Center for Social Data Analytics Colloquium - Zhenlong Li

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The Center for Social Data Analytics will be hosting Zhenlong Li, as our next guest speaker in our Fall semester lecture series. His talk is entitled "From GeoAI to Autonomous GIS: Toward AI-Powered Geospatial Problem Solving".

Abstract: Recent advances in generative AI, large language models, and AI agents are changing how geospatial problems can be formulated, analyzed, and solved. This talk will introduce the emerging Autonomous GIS paradigm, which envisions GIS evolving from primarily user-operated software toward increasingly autonomous geospatial problem-solving systems. I will discuss our recent work on GIS agents, natural language-based spatial analysis, autonomous workflow generation and execution, and geospatial agentic services. I will also highlight several open research questions, including spatial reasoning, runtime control, validation, reproducibility, and human-AI collaboration. The talk will conclude with a discussion of how these developments may reshape GIScience research and geospatial practice.

Bio: Zhenlong Li is an Associate Professor of Geography at Penn State and Director of the Geoinformation and Big Data Research Laboratory. His research focuses on GIScience, GeoAI, geospatial big data, spatial computing, and Autonomous GIS, with applications to hazards, public health, population mobility, environment and climate change. His recent work examines how generative AI and AI agents can support increasingly autonomous geospatial analysis and problem solving. He is an AAG Fellow with an extensive publication record and a strong record of externally funded research.