What AI Does to the World(s): Critical Geographic Perspectives?

The Artificial Intelligence boom impacts geography and the way to produce geography: far from being immaterial, AI’s multiple layers and scales are embedded in a complex spatial dynamics that geography can help debunk and understand in very original manners. The conference will gather contributions that both define and critically approach the multiple challenges that AI opens for our understanding of space, places, and territories.

More and more successful AI devices open opportunities for specific research in geography and related studies, such as climate, hydrography, biodiversity, urban planning, transport/mobilities, as well as cultures and societies.

As a tool, AI offers new forms of knowledge representation. Generative AI however also leads to misinformation, through algorithmic biases, notably pointing out to “fake geographies” and proxy knowledge. Through its power needs, AI’s impacts on environment is increasing in proportions that can endanger resource availability: AI also leads to understanding for the subsoil and the close layers of the atmospheres as new frontiers. Use of AI remains very uneven and access to it raises question of spatial justice. Lack of transparency and the multiplication of rogue actors lead to question both the possibility and place of regulatory policies that could ensure safety and benefits around the uses of this technology. Analysis of these will not only promote a critical understanding of AI’s consequences for spatial knowledge: it will enhance the importance of geography to analyze the profound changes that AI induce in all aspects of our existences, and that of our planet.

This conference aims to deepen our understanding of emerging patterns in the impact of AI in geography studies. It will also provide a platform for interdisciplinary exchanges. By fostering dialogue among international scholars, the conference explores IA opportunities and threats in the diversity of their spatial components.

Axes :

Axe 1 : Education Geographies and didactics of geography in times of AI
Axe 2 : Territorial and Spatial planning facing AI
Axe 3 : Society and culture : vision and impacts of AI (including gender, class, race)
Axe 4 : Politics and Economics: Space, Power and counter-power in the age of AI
Axe 5 : Challenges and environmental impacts of AI
Axe 6 : Geospatial AI: geomatics, spatial analysis, technologies and tools

Proposals for sessions are due by 30 September 2026 via this link.

Proposals for sessions must be submitted exclusively via the form available on this platform.

They may be submitted by one or more people.

The person responsible for the session must register via the platform.

https://portal.sciencesconf.org/user/create

The text of the proposal must not exceed 5,000 characters, including spaces.

It must be accompanied by a short bibliography of 5 to 10 references.