The mining industry—long seen as a bastion of heavy machinery and manual processes—is undergoing a digital transformation. At the heart of this shift is artificial intelligence (AI). More than 70% of mining companies have made investments in AI, with 37% anticipating a significant increase in the adoption of AI in mining within the next five years.
What’s Driving the Rapid Rise of AI in Mining Industry?
The global mining industry is currently valued at over $2.1 trillion USD. This number continues to grow with continued urbanization, industrialization, and decarbonization efforts skyrocketing demand. To meet this demand, mining companies are investing in new technologies that unlock the full potential of their sites.
At the operational level, AI is revolutionizing everything from exploration to extracting by monitoring assets, supporting autonomous technology, and analyzing data to enable real-time decision making. This enhances efficiency, reduces costs, and improves safety across the mining value chain.
Here are the 5 Key Use Cases of AI in Mining:
1. Discovering Potential Mineral Deposits
BHP has successfully implemented machine learning models to identify copper deposits in Australia and the United States. They have also leveraged this technology alongside advanced data analysis tools to identify copper, nickel, gold, and silver deposits at depths exceeding 1.5 meters.
2. Autonomous Vehicles
Autonomous Haulage Systems (AHS) were among the earliest applications of AI in mining, using a blend of GPS, LiDAR, onboard sensors, and AI algorithms to operate mining trucks without human drivers. AHS saves time, lowers operating costs, and enhances safety by optimizing haul routes, reducing worker fatigue, and decreasing the risk of accidents.
3. Predictive Maintenance
With sensors and IoT technology, AI can analyze equipment data and accurately predict when it needs maintenance or is likely to fail. This helps avoid unexpected breakdowns, reduces downtime, and extends equipment lifetime.
4. Energy Optimization
AI solutions are a critical enabler of the mining industry’s net-zero ambitions. Companies are increasingly using AI to monitor and reduce carbon emissions, track energy usage, and calculate the environmental impact of mining activities via simulations.
5. Operational Efficiencies
AI enables smarter, faster decision-making via real-time data analysis and monitoring. It can generate production schedules that maximize asset utilization, evaluate policy and regulatory shifts to assess their impact on operations, deploy equipment and personnel optimally so that resources are used efficiently, and more.
How Evalueserve Can Help
As companies face growing pressure to meet demand, enhance safety, and reach ambitious sustainability targets, utilizing AI in mining is no longer a competitive advantage—it’s a necessity. Our experts at Evalueserve are committed to helping mining companies navigate this transformation by delivering tailored AI strategies and data-driven insights.
Contact us today to speak with an expert and discover how we can help your mining company unlock new opportunities, drive efficiency, and achieve sustainable growth.
