Date: Tuesday 8 September 2026

Location: Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, Department of Geography,
Kotlářská 267/2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic

This workshop represents the joint efforts of the Department of Geography at the Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, in collaboration with the International Cartographic Association Commission on Multi-scale Cartography and the DGfK (German Cartographic Society) Commission on Cartography and Artificial Intelligence.

Workshop description

The workshop “AI for Cartography, Cartography for AI”, organized prior to the EuroCarto 2026 as a pre-conference workshop, aims to explore the dynamic intersection between artificial intelligence and current map design, especially its crucial aspect - map generalization. It focuses on how AI techniques, such as machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing, are transforming the way spatial data is collected, generalized, analyzed, and visualized. Participants will gain insight into how automated systems can support tasks like map generalization, map design and geospatial analysis.

At the same time, the workshop highlights the importance of cartographic knowledge in the development and application of AI systems. Effective visualization, spatial thinking, and map design play a crucial role in making AI outputs explainable and thus understandable and usable. By integrating cartographic knowledge, AI-driven tools can produce more accurate, meaningful, and user-friendly spatial representations, supporting better decision-making across various domains and vast detail levels.

Bringing together researchers, practitioners, NMA representatives and students from geoinformatics, cartography and AI, the workshop creates a platform for interdisciplinary exchange. Through presentations, discussions, and case studies, participants will explore current challenges, innovative solutions, and future directions. The event aims to foster collaboration and inspire new approaches that bridge the gap between geospatial science, cartography and artificial intelligence.

We invite contributions on topics including, but not limited to:

• Map structure analysis and constraints identification
• Generalization algorithms
• Generative AI in cartographic generalization
• Machine learning in cartographic generalization
• AI in teaching cartographic generalization
• AI in National Mapping Agencies
• AI techniques for map vectorization and map label interpretation
• Evaluation of AI techniques and results
• Review of AI studies in cartography
• Explainable AI (XAI) for AI in Cartography

Program

to be announced

Registration

Registration is done via e-mail to the organizers 1944@muni.cz and i.karsznia@uw.edu.pl

Submissions

You are invited to submit a 2-page paper, on ongoing research or position papers, following the general guidelines of the ICA conference abstracts.

The proceedings of the workshop will be published online with the CC-BY license, on the Commissions on Multi-scale Cartography page. Papers should be submitted to https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=genec26.

The workshop will be open to researchers and practitioners interested in cartography, map generalisation and multiple representation, AI and ML as well as all map lovers.

Important dates

• Submission deadline: 1st June 2026, submitted to EasyChair.
• Notification of acceptance: by 15th June, 2026
• Workshop: Tuesday, 8th September, 2026

Organizing and Scientific Committee

• Karel Staněk, Masaryk University Brno, Czech Republic
• Izabela Karsznia, University of Warsaw, Poland
• Luboš Bělka, Military Geographic and Hydrometeorologic Office, Czech Republic
• Pyry Kettunen, Finnish Geospatial Research Institute, Finland
• Guillaume Touya, IGN France, Univ. Gustave Eiffel
• Nicolas Regnauld, ESRI
• Timofey Samsonov, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
• Yu Feng, University of Applied Sciences Mainz, Germany
• Güren Tan Dinga, University Hamburg, Germany
• Monica Sester, Leibniz University Hannover, Germany
• Larry Stanislawski, CEGIS USGS, USA