AI automation: Does it automatically mean job cuts in mining?

Back in 2021, data hub Statista recognised Australia's mining, energy, and resources sector as a leader in AI adoption. Statista ranked the sector second among all industries with a 43.4% adoption rate. Less than three years later, the transformative wave of AI arrived, and the technology is everywhere. 

AI technology is maturing and businesses in all industries are finding smarter, more effective ways to streamline operations using its power. This rapid advancement, understandably, has many Australian workers worried that AI will make their jobs obsolete. In fact, a survey from Microsoft last year showed nearly half (46%) of Australian workers were worried about being replaced by AI. 

With the mining industry already leading the charge in its use of AI, a question emerges: will the sector be hit by job cuts first? At Orange Business, we see a far more nuanced and ultimately optimistic picture emerging.

Digging deeper into AI use in mining

While the current conversation around ChatGPT and other Generative AI applications might make it seem like AI has suddenly arrived, the reality is that its foundations have been around for decades. 

We've been using machine learning, the backbone of AI, in various forms for years. In the mining industry, the technology has been used to analyse geological data and identify promising areas for exploration long before the recent AI hype. 

What's changed is the sophistication and accessibility of these technologies, allowing for more powerful applications like Orange Business' AIOps solution. For our mining customers, AIOps is used to complement legacy observability platforms, ingesting and analysing data from multiple sources in real time to provide an in-depth view of a system's health and spotlight any potential issues. With AIOps, companies can then cut through the noise of this data to automatically identify system anomalies that may not be easily or quickly distinguishable.

In mining, there are four key areas where AIOps is making operations more successful:

• Predictive Maintenance: Imagine a future where costly downtime due to equipment failure becomes a rarity. AIOps analyses vast amounts of data from sensors and systems, identifying subtle patterns and anomalies that indicate potential issues before they escalate. This allows for proactive maintenance, minimising downtime and ensuring smooth operations.
• Resolution Acceleration: In large complex mining IT systems located in harsh environments, faults and failures are a fact of life. When faults do occur, quickly finding the root cause is of the utmost importance. AI can benefit by rapidly sorting through thousands of logs and events to assist team members to quickly identify the root cause and suggest resolutions. This can significantly accelerate the time to resolution.
• Resource Optimisation: From energy consumption to equipment utilisation, AI algorithms can identify inefficiencies and recommend strategies for improvement. This not only leads to significant cost savings for mining companies but also contributes to a reduced environmental footprint – a critical factor in today's world. If an impending fault can be detected and resolved before it causes an incident, it could make a significant impact on the business's outage cost calculation. 
• Safety: AI can use data from environmental sensors and worker wearables to identify potential safety risks in real time. This allows for proactive interventions, creating a safer working environment for everyone.

Investing in a safer and more productive future
The integration of AI in mining isn't about turning miners into tech specialists or eliminating jobs. It's about giving them the tools and insights to work smarter, safer, and more efficiently.

Imagine a mine site where AI helps predict potential ground instability, giving miners early warnings and preventing accidents. Or a scenario where AI-powered systems monitor equipment health in real-time, alerting maintenance crews to potential issues before they become critical, avoiding costly downtime, and keeping workers out of harm's way.

This increased efficiency and reduced risk translate into significant cost savings for mining companies. These savings can then be reinvested in other areas, such as purchasing new, safer equipment or rightsizing tools, exploring new extraction techniques, or expanding operations – all of which create more jobs and opportunities for growth.

The future of mining is human and AI
The reality unfolding in the mining industry paints a more optimistic picture than the fear of widespread job losses. AI, particularly solutions like AIOps, is about empowering human workers to boost their own abilities and not replacing them. 

By embracing AI as a tool for augmentation, the mining industry can unlock new levels of efficiency, safety, and sustainability while creating a more skilled and adaptable workforce ready to tackle the challenges of the future. In this rapidly evolving landscape, choosing a service provider with deep knowledge of your network and a proven track record in AI implementation will be paramount to unlocking the full potential of this transformative technology.