AI Maps 13 Million Buildings in One of the World’s Most Remote Regions

Researchers created the first high-resolution map of over 13 million buildings across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau using satellite imagery and AI. Despite extreme terrain and sparse data, the model achieved strong accuracy, helping reveal human settlement patterns. The dataset can support disaster risk analysis, urban planning, and renewable energy development in one of the world’s hardest-to-map regions.