Abstract: The surveying and mapping has completed the leap from digital mapping to informational mapping. In recent years, the intelligent surveying and mapping mode triggered by artificial intelligence is gradually spreading, which brings new challenges to the surveying and mapping geographic information industry. The development of intelligent mapping hardware is the fundamental driving force for the transformation of surveying and mapping technology. This paper firstly introduces the background of intelligent mapping hardware. Then, a cloud intelligent mapping technology system is proposed. Based on intelligent hardware, cloud platform, intelligent algorithm and big data, etc., two concepts that cloud virtual mapping equipment and industry service mapping engine are proposed. With the support of the industry service mapping engine, the cloud intelligent mapping technology system is built. It is foreseeable that the new changes in surveying and mapping technology will eventually lead to the transformation of the basic form of surveying and mapping technology, mainly manifested by the internal and external industry subversion, the generalization of professional surveying and mapping, and the trend of data products turning to services. Finally, this paper analyzes the four aspects of higher education teaching content:teaching mode, practitioner requirements and education reform under the intelligent mapping technology. In general, the cognitive theory, intelligent hardware, internet of things technology and cloud service technology in the field of surveying and mapping are gradually forming a systematic system of application theory and technology. The surveying and mapping will complete a new round of transformation and development along with the trend of artificial intelligence.