Surveyors

Calculate heights, depths, relative positions, property lines, and other characteristics of terrain.

AI: Fully automatable - Surveying software and AI can accurately calculate heights, depths, relative positions, property lines, and other terrain characteristics from measured and remote-sensing data.

Record the results of surveys including the shape, contour, location, elevation, and dimensions of land or land features.

AI: Fully automatable - Modern instruments and software can automatically record survey results—shape, contour, location, elevation, and dimensions—directly into digital GIS/CAD systems.

Determine longitudes and latitudes of important features and boundaries in survey areas, using theodolites, transits, levels, and satellite-based global positioning systems (GPS).

AI: Fully automatable - GNSS receivers, electronic theodolites, and processing software can determine longitudes and latitudes of features automatically and with high precision in most operational contexts.

Compute geodetic measurements and interpret survey data to determine positions, shapes, and elevations of geomorphic and topographic features.

AI: Fully automatable - Specialized geodetic and surveying software and AI can compute geodetic measurements and interpret survey data to determine positions, shapes, and elevations without manual calculation.

Analyze survey objectives and specifications to prepare survey proposals or to direct others in survey proposal preparation.

AI: Fully automatable - By 2025 AI systems can analyze objectives, interpret specifications and generate detailed survey proposals and tasking for human teams, though final validation is typically by a human.

Direct aerial surveys of specified geographical areas.

AI: Fully automatable - AI-driven mission planners and autonomy systems by 2025 can fully plan and direct aerial surveys (including drones and remote-sensing assets) within regulatory and operational constraints.

Determine specifications for photographic equipment to be used for aerial photography, as well as altitudes from which to photograph terrain.

AI: Fully automatable - Given sensor models, terrain data and resolution requirements, AI can compute photographic equipment specifications and optimal flight altitudes automatically and accurately.

Verify the accuracy of survey data, including measurements and calculations conducted at survey sites.

AI: Partial - AI can automatically check measurements, run consistency checks, and flag errors in survey data, but on-site validation, contextual interpretation, and legal verification often need human involvement.

Direct or conduct surveys to establish legal boundaries for properties, based on legal deeds and titles.

AI: Partial - AI can plan and execute measurement campaigns and process deed/title information to propose boundaries, but establishing legal property boundaries requires licensed surveyors and human legal judgment.

Prepare or supervise preparation of all data, charts, plots, maps, records, and documents related to surveys.

AI: Partial - AI can generate charts, plots, maps, and records from survey data automatically, yet supervision, final validation, and certification of those outputs remain human responsibilities.

Prepare and maintain sketches, maps, reports, and legal descriptions of surveys to describe, certify, and assume liability for work performed.

AI: Partial - AI can prepare sketches, maps, and draft legal descriptions, but it cannot assume legal certification or liability, so humans must finalize, certify, and take responsibility for the work.

Write descriptions of property boundary surveys for use in deeds, leases, or other legal documents.

AI: Partial - AI can draft legally formatted boundary descriptions from data and templates but requires licensed surveyor or legal review because of jurisdictional variation and liability.

Search legal records, survey records, and land titles to obtain information about property boundaries in areas to be surveyed.

AI: Partial - AI can search and extract information from digitized legal, survey, and title records efficiently, but cannot access non-digitized archives or fully resolve complex legal title issues without human expertise.

Coordinate findings with the work of engineering and architectural personnel, clients, and others concerned with projects.

AI: Partial - AI can generate reports, schedule meetings, and produce coordination materials for engineers, architects, and clients, but cannot fully replace human judgment, negotiation, and on-site coordination responsibilities.

Establish fixed points for use in making maps, using geodetic and engineering instruments.

AI: Partial - AI and automated instruments can compute and mark coordinates and guide field operations, but the physical establishment of permanent control points and complex field setup still requires hands-on human work and decisions.

Adjust surveying instruments to maintain their accuracy.

AI: Partial - AI can provide diagnostics, calibration procedures, and remote guidance for maintaining instrument accuracy, but physical adjustment and verification typically require technicians.

Train assistants and helpers, and direct their work in such activities as performing surveys or drafting maps.

AI: Partial - AI can produce training content, simulate tasks, and provide workflow guidance, but cannot fully substitute for human leadership, mentorship, and on-the-job supervision.

Testify as an expert witness in court cases on land survey issues, such as property boundaries.

AI: Partial - AI can prepare expert analyses, reports, and draft testimony but cannot itself be a sworn human expert witness or assume legal responsibility in court.

Plan and conduct ground surveys designed to establish baselines, elevations, and other geodetic measurements.

AI: Partial - AI can plan ground-survey designs, compute baselines and processing workflows, but cannot physically perform or supervise complex field measurements without human-operated equipment or robotics.

Develop criteria for survey methods and procedures.

AI: Partial - AI can generate criteria for methods and procedures from standards and datasets, but developing authoritative, context-sensitive criteria usually requires human professional judgment and certification.

Survey bodies of water to determine navigable channels and to secure data for construction of breakwaters, piers, and other marine structures.

AI: Partial - AI can design hydrographic survey plans and process sonar/remote-sensing data to find channels, but cannot fully execute vessel-based or in-water survey operations autonomously in most real-world settings yet.

Conduct research in surveying and mapping methods using knowledge of techniques of photogrammetric map compilation and electronic data processing.

AI: Partial - AI can perform photogrammetric map compilation, run electronic data-processing experiments, and support research, but truly independent, novel research leadership and validation remain human-centric.

Develop criteria for the design and modification of survey instruments.

AI: Partial - AI can propose design and modification criteria for instruments using simulation and historical data, but final engineering design and safety validation require human engineers.

Locate and mark sites selected for geophysical prospecting activities such as efforts to locate petroleum or other mineral products.

AI: Partial - AI can analyze geophysical data to identify candidate prospecting sites, but physically locating and marking sites in the field requires human crews or specialized robotic hardware not universally available.