Dr. Zou Presents Invited Talk on Responsible GeoAI at ISU-NISS Conference

On September 12-14, 2025, Dr. Lei Zou was invited to deliver a featured talk at the ISU-NISS Conference on AI and Statistics, held at Iowa State University. The conference brought together leading scholars to explore the intersections of artificial intelligence, data science, and statistical methodologies (Conference Website).

Dr. Zou’s presentation, titled “Responsible GeoAI for Disaster Resilience,” highlighted the transformative role of geospatial artificial intelligence (GeoAI) in addressing complex challenges related to human systems, urban environments, and disasters.

Dr. Zou gave a presentation at Iowa State University

In his talk, Dr. Zou traced the evolution of GeoAI, from early machine learning applications in geospatial analysis to today’s advanced multimodal reasoning systems. He showcased case studies leveraging large language models, pre-trained vision models, and digital twins to analyze diverse geospatial big data sources, including social media, street-view imagery, satellite observations, and human mobility data. These innovations demonstrate how AI can provide timely, location-specific insights for monitoring disaster impacts, modeling human–environment interactions, and informing mitigation strategies and policies. To address the ethical and technical challenges of rapidly evolving AI systems, Dr. Zou introduced the STEP paradigm as a framework for ensuring responsible GeoAI. This paradigm emphasizes the importance of transparency, fairness, and safeguarding human values, while still harnessing the power of AI for resilience and sustainable development. Through this invited talk, Dr. Zou underscored the importance of advancing GeoAI in ways that are not only technically powerful but also socially responsible, paving the way for a more resilient future.