Artificial intelligence can help reshape the industry

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Nov. 15 issued a press release outlining plans for two notices of funding opportunities to the tune of $355 million to expand domestic production of critical minerals and materials (page 11). The funding opportunities are issued by DOE’s Office of Fossil Energy to expand domestic production of critical materials essential for advancing U.S. energy production, manufacturing, transportation and national defense. The first funding opportunity provides up to $275 million for American industrial facilities capable of producing valuable minerals from existing industrial and coal byproducts. The second provides up to $80 million to establish “Mine of the Future” proving grounds for real-world testing of next-generation mining technologies. “The Mine of the Future — Proving Ground initiative will be among the DOE’s first major investments into mining technology research and development in almost four decades,” U.S. DOE Assistant Secretary of the Office of Fossil Energy Kyle Haustveit said in a press release. “This effort will help establish the United States as the world’s leading producer and processor of non-fuel minerals — creating economic prosperity in fossil energy communities across the country while strengthening critical mineral supply chains for the United States and its allies.” Of the many media releases that reach my inbox each day, the bit about research funding caught my eye. Funding for technology and research, in my opinion, will be desperately needed for the industry in the coming years, especially in the absence of the mining division of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). You might recall that back in April hundreds of scientists, researchers and support staff at NIOSH received reduction in force notices. While some branches of NIOSH have been reinstated, others, like the mining division have not been fully reinstated. NIOSH was the only federal agency engaged in research and technical development to advance miner safety and health.Specific research and development areas of interest for the DOE include comminution and rock mechanics, extraction, automation and robotics, and data and sensing. One focus area will be artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, including algorithms to optimize equipment efficiency, resource extraction and processing, and the development of autonomous vehicles. Two days after the release from DOE, on Nov. 17 South32, which is building its own mine of the future at the Hermosa Project in Arizona announced significant AI advancement with plans to work with Emerson on a multimillion-dollar automation project that will deploy integrated remote operations systems for South32’s first “next-generation mine,” enabling the production of critical minerals while minimizing environmental impact. “The Hermosa project represents the kind of forward-looking investment that drives both economic growth and energy security,” said Ram Krishnan, chief operating officer of Emerson.Advances in AI have the potential to reshape the mining industry. Applied correctly, AI could make the industry more efficient and sustainable. And it could help provide solutions for one of the industry’s most daunting challenges — how to recruit and retain a qualified workforce. Starting on page 25 of this issue, representatives from South32, Hecla and Quintana Resources share their thoughts about the workforce challenges including how AI is reshaping the industry.AI has immense potential for the mining industry to become safer and more productive, but it is far from a quick solution to the workforce issue. “A common misconception is that AI will replace employees but that’s simply not the case,” Skylie Estep, South32 director of human resources for the Americas told me in response to questions for the business management feature in this issue. “AI is an enabler for better performance. It’s ‘augmented intelligence’ and our workforce will learn new skills and talents to be able to leverage AI. It’s not less employees, it’s different skill sets and capabilities, and we’re here for it.” Investment in the mining industry, workforce issues, AI and machine learning, and every other topic important to the mining industry will be part of the MINEXCHANGE 2026 SME Annual Conference & Expo, to take place in Salt Lake City, UT, Feb. 22-25. Registration for the conference is now open. You can secure your spot and pick your hotel by visiting https://me.smenet.org/registration-for-minexchange-2026-sme-annual-conference-now-open/.

Artificial intelligence can help reshape the industry

Authored by: William Gleason

To view the past issues of the UCA magazine you must be a member of SME/UCA.

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