AI Accelerates Mineral Discovery in Australia: Earth AI Finds New Deposits
Image Credit: Edz Norton | Splash
Artificial intelligence is transforming mining by speeding up the search for mineral deposits. In Australia, startup Earth AI has used AI to identify potential deposits of copper, cobalt, gold, silver, molybdenum, and tin in the Northern Territory and New South Wales. This finding, alongside global efforts, shows how AI is changing resource exploration.
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How AI Enhances Exploration
AI analyzes historical geological data, such as Australia’s government archives from the 1970s, to predict where minerals might be located. By detecting patterns in these records, AI systems can survey large areas faster than traditional methods, which often take decades. This efficiency is vital as demand rises for minerals like copper and cobalt. However, AI relies on quality data and field testing to confirm predictions, and many in the cautious mining industry remain skeptical of new technologies.
Details of the Australian Discovery
Earth AI identified signs of copper, cobalt, and gold in the Northern Territory and silver, molybdenum, and tin in New South Wales, 310 miles northwest of Sydney. These areas had been largely overlooked by earlier exploration. The deposits’ size and commercial viability are still being assessed through further drilling.
Copper, cobalt, gold, silver, molybdenum, and tin are critical for technologies like electric vehicles, renewable energy systems and electronics. New discoveries could help meet growing global demand, but mining projects must navigate environmental concerns and regulatory approvals.
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Industry Context and Challenges
AI-driven exploration is gaining attention worldwide. For example, KoBold used AI to find a major copper deposit in Zambia in 2024, similar to Earth AI’s efforts in Australia. These cases show AI’s ability to locate resources in under-explored areas. To build trust, companies often conduct their own drilling to verify AI predictions, as Earth AI has done. Challenges include scaling AI technologies, ensuring environmental sustainability and overcoming industry resistance. Looking ahead, AI could improve resource discovery globally by analyzing data in diverse regions, but its success depends on collaboration with traditional mining expertise and addressing verification and regulatory hurdles.
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Source: Tech Crunch, Earth AI, PR Newswire
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