2025-11-14 –, Way
fAIr is an open AI-assisted mapping service by HOT, supporting faster and more accurate humanitarian mapping using computer vision. This talk covers 2024–2025 progress, UI/UX improvements and the role of OSM in training and output. We’ll also discuss challenges, and future plans for contributing to OSM.
fAIr is an open AI-assisted mapping service developed by the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) to enhance the speed and quality of mapping for humanitarian purposes. Using computer vision models to detect features in satellite and UAV imagery from OpenAerialMap, fAIr provides pre-annotations to reduce manual effort and enable faster crisis response.
This talk will highlight our progress through 2024 and key developments in 2025, including the technical evolution of the platform and the dual role of OpenStreetMap (OSM) data as both a training input and an output of AI-assisted workflows.
We’ll share how UI/UX improvements, guided by community feedback, have made the interface more intuitive and transparent, supporting both new and experienced mappers.
We’ll also cover core challenges and opportunities, including:
- The role of human validation in maintaining data quality
- Utilization of AI-derived features
- fAIr’s feedback loop that helps improve AI models
Finally, we’ll outline future plans, including deeper integration with tools like MapSwipe and improved pipelines for contributing validated outputs.
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Humanitarian, UI/UX, Community
Affiliation:Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT), Spatialnode
Geospatial Software Engineer.
Portfolio: https://emmanueljolaiya.com
Open Source Geospatial Developer
Bright Nejo is a product designer passionate about building intuitive, inclusive, and impactful digital experiences at scale. With over four years of experience designing user-centric digital products across fintech, geospatial technology, open-source tools, and enterprise platforms. Bright currently leads design at a fintech startup backed by one of Africa’s most successful banks, where he crafts solutions that simplify payments and empower merchants across the continent.
Previously, he worked with Milsat Technologies, a geospatial intelligence company advancing Africa’s digital mapping and field data solutions, where he redesigned the company’s field survey application and led the design of EnumPay, a native payroll management system tailored for field workers, with a focus on accessibility for users with low digital literacy. Notably, Bright was the UI/UX designer behind fAIr, a free, open-source AI-assisted mapping tool built to support community-driven humanitarian mapping efforts.
Bright is deeply invested in the intersection of design, data, and social impact, and enjoys collaborating on tools that drive open innovation, local empowerment, and equitable access to technology.