As geospatial data transitions from direct measurement to AI-generated inference, WGIC’s new report outlines how to restore transparency, governance, and trust in decision-grade spatial data – a timely and essential reading for anyone making critical decisions with geospatial data.
The Hague, The Netherlands: The World Geospatial Industry Council (WGIC) is pleased to announce the release of its new report, Data to Decisions – Rebuilding Trust in Decision-Grade Geospatial Data.
The report arrives as the geospatial sector shifts from measurement-based trust to model-based trust—a paradigm where data is increasingly inferred, synthesized, and generated at scale by AI systems whose inner workings are difficult to inspect. While this shift unlocks immense value, it introduces hidden risks: silent errors, untraceable lineage, and blurred accountability when critical decisions fail.
WGIC argues that trust must be rebuilt across four key foundations—provenance, governance, metadata, and accountability—and operationalized through emerging standards, federated architectures, and governance-ready geospatial foundation models.
The report develops these foundations into six interconnected properties of decision-grade data—source and capture, integrity and authenticity, provenance and lineage, quality and uncertainty, rights and governance, and fitness for decision.
Aaron Addison, Executive Director of WGIC, stated upon the report’s release:
“The geospatial and EO industry’s next phase of growth will be defined by whether data is decision-grade. The data chain spans from sensor to model to decision. A vulnerability anywhere along this chain propagates downstream, requiring a comprehensive response across the entire ecosystem. This report gives our members and the broader industry a shared reference point at a moment when regulation and AI capability are moving at breakneck speed. It is an invitation to build a trusted future together.”
John Renard, Founder of Airedale Advisory & Chair of the WGIC Data Committee, added:
“Machine learning and generative AI, paired with the exponential growth of location intelligence, have tested our confidence in spatial data. This report tackles those questions head-on, challenging existing assumptions. Drawing on broad industry consensus and practical expertise, it offers concrete recommendations to strengthen practice and guide decision-makers through an increasingly complex landscape.”
About World Geospatial Industry Council
The World Geospatial Industry Council (WGIC) is a global not-for-profit trade association of private-sector companies operating in the geospatial ecosystem. WGIC collaborates with multilateral organizations, public authorities, academia, and user-industry communities to demonstrate the value and benefits of geospatial technologies in ecology, the economy, and society.
Through its policy, research, thematic, and cross-cutting outreach programs, WGIC facilitates knowledge exchange and co-creation of business opportunities for the geospatial industry.
For more information, visit www.wgicouncil.org
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