We associate the mining industry with huge machines, hard work and especially lack of safety for employees. Mining work is considered one of the most dangerous jobs in the world but AI is starting to change that. International mining companies quickly invested in the new technologies, believing that the investment would pay off quickly.
The use of artificial intelligence for exportation and extraction of raw materials has brought a few crucial changes in this industry. Companies that use current technologies can extract more, faster, safer, and more environmentally friendly. As a result, profits will increase significantly and the environment will be protected.
The location where a mine will be built is considered to be the determining factor in all subsequent exploitation-related issues. Artificial intelligence must therefore be used in this industry. The IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) Watson robot, which was developed in this area, has become famous. The main benefit of Watson is that it can interact with experts. In addition to any other information pertaining to the exploration of deposits, Watson automatically records the maps and geological cross-sections that are given to it. When employed for the exploration of oil and natural gas resources, it significantly improved the earlier outcomes of successful drillings by over 30%.
Autonomous transportation also makes use of artificial intelligence. The trucks follow a single defined route without encountering any barriers, making this travel fairly straightforward. This system is used by the Australian-British firm and includes three ports, 1,500 km of railroad, and 16 mines. Millions of pieces of data are processed every minute by the system and relayed to operators outside the mines. The company increased its efficiency and reduced its fuel costs by using this approach. Addicionaly, they are using remote-controlled trucks also that operate nonstop for seven days.
As I mentioned earlier, the work of a miner is not safe, which is why artificial intelligence systems have been used to improve the quality of people’s work in mines. Many of today’s solutions would not be possible without new technologies. There are two techniques to improve safety in mines: wearables and thoroughtec. Wearables are the unique clothing that miners wear with hidden sensors that continuously monitor the worker’s health. Thoroughtec is a method that helps identify inappropriate human behavior that could cause an accident and makes it possible to detect threats earlier.
The application of AI in the mining sector is constantly expanding. It will undoubtedly bring about significant changes in the upcoming years, and mining-related businesses will definitely greatly benefit from it.
I completely agree that the incorporation of Artificial intelligence into the mining industry could lead to awesome results. In my opinion, it not only alleviates the exhausting and difficult process of mining but also significantly economizes the recourses used for the extraction process, prolongs “the working life” of special mining machinery and eliminates the risk of errors as well as threats to workers’ safety. I genuinely believe that there would be even bigger development of AI systems used in this industry and further investment in a special technology would be encouraged in order to contribute to its success.
One crucial question arises (as it always does with AI) – will it aid the jobs of planners, or will it completely replace the need for humans in these positions?
For now, the jobs higher up on the ladder are at somewhat of a threatened position, but will AI-equipped robots eventually replace the physical workers themselves? In such case, considering the size of the mining industry, we might expect some opposition, protests, or even revolts against the new technology.