April 2026 Summaries

Google Cloud Next '26 in Las Vegas highlighted the growing importance of Location Intelligence and geospatial AI within enterprise AI, showcasing advancements that integrate spatial data seamlessly into AI workflows. A key announcement was the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform, which allows AI agents to leverage real-time geospatial data from Google Earth AI and BigQuery, enhancing decision-making by providing spatial context. CARTO emerged as a pivotal player, being the only Agentic GIS provider in Google’s new partner program, reflecting its cloud-native design suited for Google's AI strategy. New geospatial data products from Google Maps Platform, like Population Dynamics Insights and Roads Management Insights, are now accessible directly within BigQuery, facilitating more efficient and accurate analytics without extensive data preparation. The event also introduced Imagery Insights, enabling enterprises to utilize satellite and street-level imagery for structured analysis through foundational models. Additionally, the Maps Grounding Lite integration via MCP allows AI agents to access live spatial data effortlessly, underscoring a shift towards cloud-native, agent-orchestrated workflows where Location Intelligence is central to AI strategies.

CARTO has launched a Site Selection AI Agent on Google Cloud's Gemini Enterprise platform, marking a significant advancement in location analytics and site selection for enterprises. As the first and only Agentic GIS partner to offer this AI tool, CARTO enables organizations to make informed decisions about where to grow by leveraging geospatial analytics without requiring deep GIS expertise or lengthy analysis. The agent draws on comprehensive data sources, including Google Maps and Population Dynamics Insights, to provide detailed analysis of potential sites, enabling users to compare candidate locations and discover new markets efficiently. This tool democratizes access to advanced geospatial analysis, allowing business users, from expansion planners to marketing managers, to engage directly with the data and make data-driven decisions in minutes instead of weeks. The collaboration between CARTO and Google Cloud aims to make geospatial analytics accessible to all teams within an organization, transforming spatial analysis from a specialized function into a strategic operational tool.

In Brazil, the integration of cloud-native spatial analysis into existing cloud data stacks is being revolutionized by a partnership between Geoambiente and CARTO. Geoambiente, leveraging over 30 years of geospatial expertise and a strong connection to the local data ecosystem, becomes the exclusive reseller of CARTO's Agentic GIS platform in Brazil. This partnership addresses the inefficiencies of traditional GIS systems by allowing enterprises to conduct spatial analysis directly within their existing data environments, facilitating faster and more secure decision-making. CARTO's platform offers features such as low-code spatial pipeline tools, AI agents for location queries, and seamless integration with cloud data warehouses like BigQuery. By combining Geoambiente's local expertise with CARTO's advanced platform, Brazilian enterprises can enhance their geospatial capabilities without compromising data security or scalability, as demonstrated by companies like Mercado Libre and Renault Group.

A transformative shift is occurring in geospatial information systems (GIS) with the rise of agentic AI platforms, allowing users to engage with data through natural language interfaces rather than traditional map-centric applications. CARTO is at the forefront of this change, implementing its Agentic GIS strategy by enabling AI agents to perform complex geospatial analyses via the CARTO MCP Server, which integrates with platforms like Claude and ChatGPT. This approach maintains data governance and transparency, as all computations occur within the customer's data warehouse, and agents utilize over 200 spatial components available through CARTO Workflows. The introduction of MCP Apps further enhances this capability by embedding interactive maps directly into conversational interfaces, providing users with a more intuitive understanding of spatial data. Additionally, the CARTO CLI and Skills support AI agents in automating end-to-end geospatial workflows, allowing users to describe their analytical needs in natural language, with AI agents iteratively building the workflows. This evolution is set to democratize geospatial analysis by enabling anyone to harness its power, with AI agents simplifying complexity and building organizational memory through context graphs that capture and structure analytical decisions over time.

CARTO's recent introduction of AI Agents aims to democratize geospatial analysis by integrating conversational interfaces into maps, enabling users to perform spatial analysis using natural language queries. These agents, linked to data warehouses and powered by AI providers, have been applied to various use cases such as insurance risk assessment and urban mobility analysis. The development process highlighted the importance of context, structured instructions, and user-centric design for effective agent performance. CARTO addressed these challenges by creating the Agent Configuration Assistant, a tool designed to simplify the setup of AI Agents while ensuring quality and reliability by incorporating best practices and enabling users to focus on specific goals. This approach emphasizes the significance of understanding the data, user needs, and application context to build trustworthy and efficient agents.

AI is transforming industries by enhancing product capabilities and altering how they're built and utilized, including in geospatial analytics, where AI and spatial reasoning converge to make location intelligence widely accessible. CARTO is advancing its Agentic GIS vision with new AI tools, such as an AI Assistant for configuring geospatial CARTO AI Agents, which can now generate interactive charts and integrate seamlessly into custom GIS applications. The platform has expanded support for various AI providers and large language models, allowing users to leverage existing infrastructure. New features also include a CLI for automating CARTO management, Viewer Mode for transforming complex workflows into simple tools, and H3-based isochrones for efficient trade-area analysis. Additionally, CARTO's integration with Databricks has been enhanced to facilitate spatial data handling. These updates are designed to streamline operations and empower data teams with faster insights and interactive experiences.