Experts, Crowds, Machines--Who Will Build the Maps of the Future?

Geospatial data is the building block of the modern web map, but its production has evolved rapidly in recent years with a vast quantity of user-created content. What once was the realm of experts has now been democratized for the common user, but crowdsourced and volunteered data faces criticisms over its quality. Machine learning is offering an intelligent and objective way to enhance collaborative work and bring added precision and accuracy. But which source will be the one providing the maps of the future? "Art is a lie that makes us realize truth, at least the truth that is given us to understand." -- Pablo Picasso I recently visited a small bookstore in Riga, Latvia, which boasts some underground fame among mapping enthusiasts for its collection of vintage Soviet maps of the world. I found Cyrillic writing detailing the location of airfields and rivers in my home state of Montana, inspiring me to ponder the way such information was gathered and stored in the Cold War era.