How AI is rebuilding Earth as a digital twin

The article discusses a transformative shift in how Earth is observed and understood through the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with satellite and sensor data, creating a dynamic digital twin of the planet. Traditionally, satellites collected vast amounts of environmental data primarily for human interpretation. Now, advances in AI and spatial intelligence are enabling machines to not only observe but also analyze, predict, and interact with Earth in real time. This emerging digital nervous system of interconnected satellites, drones, and ground sensors is seen as a new industrial revolution, enhancing capabilities in environmental monitoring, defense, and autonomous systems. Central to this evolution are two key initiatives: Vantor’s Tensorglobe and the Allen Institute for AI’s OlmoEarth. Vantor, formerly Maxar Intelligence, rebranded and refocused from satellite imagery provider to a spatial intelligence company that integrates diverse sensor data into a continuously updated 3D model of Earth. Tensorglobe serves as a “living globe” that supports machine autonomy and decision-making