Geospatial Foundation Models Enable Continental-Scale Earth Observation on AWS

Geospatial foundation models (GeoFMs), based on transformer architectures, are revolutionizing earth observation by enabling large-scale mapping and ecosystem monitoring, such as detecting deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. These models, including Clay Foundation's Clay model, offer powerful tools for geospatial similarity search and ecosystem change detection with minimal labeled data and are accessible under permissive licenses, allowing diverse applications on platforms like AWS. The growing importance of geospatial intelligence spans sectors from crisis response to urban planning, with webinars highlighting how AI and machine learning transform raw geospatial data into actionable insights. Despite their potential, challenges remain in countries like Nigeria, where fragmented and siloed geospatial data infrastructures hinder evidence-based decision-making for sustainable development, contrasting with more coordinated efforts in other nations. Industry advances also include the integration of AI by companies like OpenAI working on geospatial data reasoning models and the ongoing expansion of geospatial, AEC, and 3D technologies that support infrastructure projects and surveyor safety. Overall, geospatial intelligence is emerging as a trillion-dollar opportunity, driving strategic decisions, risk reduction, and value creation across government, business, and humanitarian domains.