Will AI replace Remote Sensing Scientists and Technologists?
AI reaches a large part of this job’s work.
45/100
High exposure
More exposed to AI than 72% of US workers.
- AI already used in
- 5% of the work
- As AI tools mature: up to
- 72% of the work
What the job involves
Apply remote sensing principles and methods to analyze data and solve problems in areas such as natural resource management, urban planning, or homeland security. May develop new sensor systems, analytical techniques, or new applications for existing systems.
Where AI reaches the work
The job’s main tasks, heaviest first, by how far AI reaches them.
Already happening(1)
- Compile and format image data to increase its usefulness.
Within reach(17)
- Organize and maintain geospatial data and associated documentation.
- Prepare or deliver reports or presentations of geospatial project information.
- Develop or build databases for remote sensing or related geospatial project information.
- Process aerial or satellite imagery to create products such as land cover maps.
- Collect supporting data, such as climatic or field survey data, to corroborate remote sensing data analyses.
and 12 more
Out of reach(6)
- Manage or analyze data obtained from remote sensing systems to obtain meaningful results.
- Analyze data acquired from aircraft, satellites, or ground-based platforms, using statistical analysis software, image analysis software, or Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
- Integrate other geospatial data sources into projects.
- Discuss project goals, equipment requirements, or methodologies with colleagues or team members.
- Attend meetings or seminars or read current literature to maintain knowledge of developments in the field of remote sensing.
and 1 more
Also called
Remote Sensing Scientist · Geospatial Intelligence Analyst · Image Scientist · Remote Sensing Analyst · Scientist · Remote Sensing Engineer · Research Scientist · Sensor Specialist
Related jobs
What these numbers mean
The score is the share of this job’s work, weighted by how important and frequent each task is, that AI could do in half the time: tasks an AI model could do alone count in full, tasks that need software built on AI count half.
“AI already used” is the share of the work in tasks where people are recorded using AI today. “As AI tools mature” counts every task AI could halve, with or without extra software.
The percentile compares the score with every job’s, weighted by how many people in the US do each one. Exposure means AI could change how the work is done, not that the job goes away. These are estimates for the typical job, not predictions.
Sources
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
- GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs (task labels), Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), OpenAI and University of Pennsylvania
- Anthropic Economic Index: labor market impacts (task penetration), Anthropic
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national and metropolitan areas), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics