ArcGIS Pro 3.7 introduces the Analyze Map functionality, which surfaces many potential performance issues as well as suggested fixes. That sentence, buried in Esri's May 14 release notes, signals something bigger than a software patch. The geospatial industry is automating the expertise that used to take years to develop—and energy and mining companies are the early beneficiaries.
The release introduces new capabilities that reduce the need to duplicate maps, provide earlier insight into potential performance issues, and speed up many common workflows, including new tools to automatically extract features from scanned maps and the ability to control layer visibility by map frame in layouts. For teams managing pipeline networks or mineral exploration campaigns, that translates to fewer clicks, faster decisions, and workflows that scale without adding headcount.
Can AI Actually Write Your GIS Code?
The ArcGIS Notebooks assistant (beta) is an in-app coding assistant that explains, generates, and troubleshoots Python code, allowing users to get line-by-line walkthroughs to understand existing code and use prompts to generate Python code for automating administrative, content management, and analysis tasks, leveraging the ArcGIS API for Python or ArcPy. Released in February 2026, according to Esri, the assistant represents a shift from "nice to have" to "business critical" for organizations running complex spatial workflows.
Utility companies are already developing automated geoprocessing scripts and ETL pipelines using Python/ArcPy, ModelBuilder, and REST APIs to support real-time and near-real-time data workflows for field operations, outage management, integrity management, and grid monitoring. CPS Energy's recent job posting for a GIS Specialist highlights the demand—candidates need fluency in automation, not just cartography.
The implications extend beyond utilities. With commodity cycles shifting, driven by surging demand for copper, lithium, and other energy transition metals amid tight supply and geopolitical risks, new mining projects are advancing fast, and teams face pressure to move quicker with fewer resources, turning data into decisions without delays or confusion. Esri's mining-focused guide, published in January, emphasizes that GIS now serves as "the system of record and engagement" connecting office planning to field execution.
The ArcGIS Pro Assistant is extensible—developers can build and register custom actions using the ArcGIS Pro SDK, triggered by natural language input. That means a geologist could type "show me all drill holes within 500 meters of the fault zone with copper grades above 0.8%" and get results without writing a single line of SQL.
Where Automation Meets the Drill Bit
The convergence of geospatial intelligence and physical automation is most visible underground. Epiroc's Deep Automation for drilling is a suite of automation solutions for underground drilling and bolting that enables safer, smarter, and more efficient mine development and stoping processes through data and information flow, drill planning, automated operations and precise execution. The company announced the expansion on May 28, per International Mining.
Propeller states that integrating Spacesium's GIS expertise accelerates their ability to turn 3D data into immediate operational insights, with CEO Rory San Miguel noting that "we've been testing these algorithms with real customers, and it's been fantastic to see how much value they add in the field." The March acquisition, reported by Canadian Mining Journal, underscores how AI-driven automation is refining mine site intelligence beyond traditional mapping.
Propeller's new AI-driven Haul Road Analysis tool changes traditional inspections by automating detection processes, automatically identifying road centerlines and providing instant feedback on critical safety and efficiency parameters. For operations where haul roads function as the arteries of mine sites, the difference between manual point-to-point measurements that take hours and automated analysis is measured in both safety incidents avoided and fuel costs saved.
Epiroc is now launching a comprehensive set of digital mine planning solutions globally to further strengthen mining companies' operations, marking a milestone in Epiroc's strategy to consolidate its digital technology acquisitions into one connected offering, bringing together years of integration, development, and deep mining domain expertise. The May 20 announcement includes Drill Quality Manager, which monitors and optimizes drilling performance using near real-time 3D visualization—a direct application of geospatial workflows to operational execution.
