In the effort to rapidly transform the way we use energy, valuable metals are coming increasingly into high demand. Various minerals and metals, such as copper and cobalt, are required to advance new technologies and accelerate the lowering of carbon emissions. However, their extraction also comes with high societal and environmental costs. Therefore, developing ways to extract valuable minerals in a way that benefits global sustainability goals and mitigates the negative impacts of extraction, while rectifying imbalances between developing and developed countries, is a worthwhile endeavor. Artificial intelligence (AI) enabled applications provide one avenue to potentially speed up this process. The question remains, how do we ensure AI is used in a way that benefits communities, societal development, and environmental sustainability when it comes to the mining industry? Our December IEAI Research Brief explores this question.
