Is AI Making Mining Better, or Just Faster?

[slapper]

AI are companies finding copper and lithium much faster and cheaper than ever before. AI can cut costs by 30%, and some startups like KoBold Metals are now worth almost $3 billion. Yes, computers can find minerals 60% faster, and avoid drilling in the wrong spot. It looks smart: less waste, more minerals, fewer mistakes. Sound great

But, who owns the information? All this smart tech needs more powerful computers, more electricity, and, surprise, more minerals for the computers themselves! We are trying to solve one problem, but maybe creating another. Every layer of smarter AI needs more chips, more power, more rare metals. The same minerals that AI is supposed to help us extract efficiently are what power the AI itself. Every time we upgrade the algorithm, we increase the baseline for what is normal in mining costs, data acquisition, and infrastructure.

It's called the Red Queen effect: everyone runs faster just to stay in place

I come from a country where big foreign companies often take our raw materials. Now, I see it happening again, but with data. These new AI companies collect geological data from Africa, Asia, even Latin America, and build huge databases. They control the knowledge about where the best minerals are, not the local people or governments. It feels like a new kind of colonialism, but digital

Jobs are nice, and maybe there is some local tax money. But the real profit goes to people sitting in Silicon Valley or London, not those living above the mines. Another thing: Companies keep saying AI will help the environment because it wastes less. But if it makes mining even faster, are we just digging up the earth even quicker? Fewer failed holes = more "successes" = faster depletion. So much for the sustainability story

[mindrust]

AI is bringing us to perfection. It won’t take long before be achieve immortality. Maybe we already did but they still keep it a secret. Maybe the price is way too expensive so there is no point in revealing it.

But we will get there.

Even if we can’t achieve immortality literally, our lifespan will increase so much, we will able to live say 300 hundred years. That’s as good as immortality.

You might ask what tha fuck does that has to with anything? Imma talkin about mining in ma cooountry.

I gotta tell ya.

It is all related.

Companies finding the perfect holes with full of minerals on one side, on thee other side; there are healthcare/pharmacy/biotech companies finding the perfect products to increase our lifespan.

That’s way more important than digging the right holes mang.

[Fortify]

AI are companies finding copper and lithium much faster and cheaper than ever before. AI can cut costs by 30%, and some startups like KoBold Metals are now worth almost $3 billion. Yes, computers can find minerals 60% faster, and avoid drilling in the wrong spot. It looks smart: less waste, more minerals, fewer mistakes. Sound great

But, who owns the information? All this smart tech needs more powerful computers, more electricity, and, surprise, more minerals for the computers themselves! We are trying to solve one problem, but maybe creating another. Every layer of smarter AI needs more chips, more power, more rare metals. The same minerals that AI is supposed to help us extract efficiently are what power the AI itself. Every time we upgrade the algorithm, we increase the baseline for what is normal in mining costs, data acquisition, and infrastructure.

It's called the Red Queen effect: everyone runs faster just to stay in place

I come from a country where big foreign companies often take our raw materials. Now, I see it happening again, but with data. These new AI companies collect geological data from Africa, Asia, even Latin America, and build huge databases. They control the knowledge about where the best minerals are, not the local people or governments. It feels like a new kind of colonialism, but digital

Jobs are nice, and maybe there is some local tax money. But the real profit goes to people sitting in Silicon Valley or London, not those living above the mines. Another thing: Companies keep saying AI will help the environment because it wastes less. But if it makes mining even faster, are we just digging up the earth even quicker? Fewer failed holes = more "successes" = faster depletion. So much for the sustainability story

You don't actually give any explanation as to how AI is being used to find copper and lithium, so I am not sure how we are meant to comment on it. Is it from reading satelite imagery? Geo terrain shots? Assessing drilling materials? Like so many people who over hype new technology, use whatever buzzwords are that fit the moment (like "algorithm") but it really needs a detailed explanation or it might as well all be lies. Everyone pretends AI is all singing and all dancing, but the real substance is often missing. I am sure it can be used in certain ways to improve mineral surveying, but this field is already fairly mature and people have been trying to hunt for these precious metals for a long time; so they have decades of learned experience already.

[hafiztalha]

AI is enhancing on the World and its cost is low as comparison to other things which are used by other machines . Machines were used in the past for this purpose but there are also few countries who are not ready to adopt this technology but they are facing hard circumstances because they are losing most of the money on mining . Mining is important for every country and millions of people are using these metals for different purposes and these are used in the most of purposes and for the domestic use and for the show piece. The countries which are not ready to adopt this technology, should research on that and should use this tech and it could give more profit to the country and it could make economy strong of the country.

[slapper]

AI is bringing us to perfection. It won’t take long before be achieve immortality. Maybe we already did but they still keep it a secret. Maybe the price is way too expensive so there is no point in revealing it.

But we will get there.

Even if we can’t achieve immortality literally, our lifespan will increase so much, we will able to live say 300 hundred years. That’s as good as immortality.

You might ask what tha fuck does that has to with anything? Imma talkin about mining in ma cooountry.

I gotta tell ya.

It is all related.

Companies finding the perfect holes with full of minerals on one side, on thee other side; there are healthcare/pharmacy/biotech companies finding the perfect products to increase our lifespan.

That’s way more important than digging the right holes mang.

There is something wild about thinking how both mining and biotech are on the same path: finding the "perfect spot", the "perfect formula". In a way, yeah, it is all about searching for what keeps the system (the earth, our bodies) running smoother, longer. You see a future where tech is pushing us toward some kind of perfection, maybe even IMMORTALITY. These things are indeed connected.  Everything high-tech, including the stuff that will someday make us healthier, live longer, or perhaps upload our brains to a server somewhere, is the supply chain of mining. What we are digging today create the "holes" that will be used to generate the cures we may need in the future

But who gets to own that future? If the price of this "perfection" is too high, or if it is only available to the few who control the data or the resources, it kind of sucks for the rest of us. Eternal life to the billionaires and CEOs, ordinary life (or even worse) to the rest of the world? That is the dystopia, right?

~

You don't actually give any explanation as to how AI is being used to find copper and lithium, so I am not sure how we are meant to comment on it. Is it from reading satelite imagery? Geo terrain shots? Assessing drilling materials? Like so many people who over hype new technology, use whatever buzzwords are that fit the moment (like "algorithm") but it really needs a detailed explanation or it might as well all be lies. Everyone pretends AI is all singing and all dancing, but the real substance is often missing. I am sure it can be used in certain ways to improve mineral surveying, but this field is already fairly mature and people have been trying to hunt for these precious metals for a long time; so they have decades of learned experience already.

Here is how it really works (from what I have dug up, and this is individual works, so there might be some incorrect):

- AI in mineral exploration: KoBold Metals use machine learning to take huge amounts of old and new data:satellite images, old drilling logs, geophysical survey data (magnetic, gravity, even electromagnetic), even soil chemistry samples

- Instead of guessing based on one kind of data or "geological hunches", their systems use Bayesian inference (a fancy way of constantly updating probabilities as more evidence arrives) to make layered predictions about where deposits might be. A giant, living map that gets "smarter" every time you feed it new info, each failed or successful drill teaches the model what to look for. For example, their platform can scan over 10,000 square kilometers per day with AI-powered satellite mapping

- They also merge super-old data (like hand-drawn maps from a hundred years ago) with new stuff, and the AI has to figure out the "truth" between the gaps. There was a real case in Quebec where the AI discovered that false lithium signals came from a certain type of lichen, something that would have taken humans much longer to realize

AI is enhancing on the World and its cost is low as comparison to other things which are used by other machines . Machines were used in the past for this purpose but there are also few countries who are not ready to adopt this technology but they are facing hard circumstances because they are losing most of the money on mining . Mining is important for every country and millions of people are using these metals for different purposes and these are used in the most of purposes and for the domestic use and for the show piece. The countries which are not ready to adopt this technology, should research on that and should use this tech and it could give more profit to the country and it could make economy strong of the country.

It is not that simple. When everyone rushes to use AI in mining, it creates a kind of global FOMO (which I has already mentioned in this thread). Every country wants to catch up, and that pressure can lead to missing out on their own strengths or local needs. Some countries have deep, historic mining knowledge, or rich community traditions, or even rare earths that do not need massive AI platforms. They can find new value by using what they already have, not just by copying what works in Silicon Valley or China. Plus, when the world all races in one direction, it can make things more expensive or risky in the long run. Sure, learning and trying new tech is good, but every country also needs to develop its own path, not just follow global hype. What works for one place might not work for another

[AVE5]

But, who owns the information? All this smart tech needs more powerful computers, more electricity, and, surprise, more minerals for the computers themselves! We are trying to solve one problem, but maybe creating another. Every layer of smarter AI needs more chips, more power, more rare metals. The same minerals that AI is supposed to help us extract efficiently are what power the AI itself. Every time we upgrade the algorithm, we increase the baseline for what is normal in mining costs, data acquisition, and infrastructure.

It's called the Red Queen effect: everyone runs faster just to stay in place

Applying AI for sensitivities and research has done more success than humans ability. And as we thrives on discovering more proportions with human ability is the more mistakes and waste of resources we administers.
The world is also evolving so Craft persons and Tech Engins are quite pro finding solutions and advancing on the dimensions of providing efficiencies results with lower expenses, less damage on the process of mining and as well less energy consumption.
But as we besearch with those AI complex tools, modernity of the AIs on data optimizations should also be a concern to address the cumbersome of operations.

I come from a country where big foreign companies often take our raw materials. Now, I see it happening again, but with data. These new AI companies collect geological data from Africa, Asia, even Latin America, and build huge databases. They control the knowledge about where the best minerals are, not the local people or governments. It feels like a new kind of colonialism, but digital

Jobs are nice, and maybe there is some local tax money. But the real profit goes to people sitting in Silicon Valley or London, not those living above the mines.

Your government could probably be diluted and deficient of ideals and tools to mine those resources. So they just act as raw supplier while those with the efficiencies maximizing or processing their resourcefulness.

[Webetcoins]

AI is enhancing on the World and its cost is low as comparison to other things which are used by other machines .

It can even be free in fact. That sounds good at first but if we think deeply, this can affect the economy negatively too if the demand for other things will get less.

Machines were used in the past for this purpose but there are also few countries who are not ready to adopt this technology but they are facing hard circumstances because they are losing most of the money on mining . Mining is important for every country and millions of people are using these metals for different purposes and these are used in the most of purposes and for the domestic use and for the show piece. The countries which are not ready to adopt this technology, should research on that and should use this tech and it could give more profit to the country and it could make economy strong of the country.

What I said earlier must be the reason on why other countries did not consider it yet even though there are still some struggles. It is like a sacrifice. Mining is no doubt has its own importance but I think too much of it is not good anymore because we are talking about the environment here that gets destroyed. I think mining has been a thing even in the past, so we might have enough resources already? And why can't we just recycle them instead? But maybe this is also happening already.

[Free Market Capitalist]

Of course, anyone who does not understand that the present, not the future, but the present consists of integrating AI more and more into every aspect of our lives is still in the caves.

Take the major mining company, for example:

AI + Digital Energy: How Bitcoin Powers the Future of Compute

Or the leading bitcoin treasury company that you can see summarized what it is doing in my personal text.

AI is bringing us to perfection. It won’t take long before be achieve immortality. Maybe we already did but they still keep it a secret. Maybe the price is way too expensive so there is no point in revealing it.

But we will get there.

Even if we can’t achieve immortality literally, our lifespan will increase so much, we will able to live say 300 hundred years.

A bit off topic and I was disagreeing until I read the last sentence. We are going to die, no matter how much we can extend our lives or somehow transfer our consciousness to a robot, the possibility of dying in an accident, for example if you go on a plane and it crashes, will always be there. At the level of humanity, a nuclear war or a cosmic cataclysm can always happen. So I don't believe in immortality.

[WillyAp]

AI is bringing us to perfection. It won’t take long before be achieve immortality. Maybe we already did but they still keep it a secret. Maybe the price is way too expensive so there is no point in revealing it.

How, with their inbreed fantasy, with an input of 60% Lies?
Its LLM, no AI, and schooled on the internet, where what you read is true, in your words.

[STT]

I was not aware AI was this useful to mining but it makes sense if AI can detect cancer better then a doctor there are many other sectors of endless raw data needing processing and apparently AI provides improvement often.   This just makes me more bullish on AI mostly.
   Technology never stands still, I believe it will become more efficient not less and the energy required too so this is an optimistic outlook to me.  With so much bad government and wars and natural failure always possible of course we need technology to continue its course not be stunted as some had feared the end of Moores law etc.

[el kaka22]

There are two different problems with what OP is talking about, related still very different two problems. One of them is the fact that AI is using a lot of resources, between using insane amount of energy (usually fossil fuel based) and the water needed to cool those huge data centres down, it becomes clear that we are seeing these AI companies are spending a ton of resources just to grow, and yes that is bad for the world, there is no doubt about that.

Secondly, the materials from third world countries, without paying a fair price. The first one can be fixed by cooling down the world, which we failed to do, renewable energy is the way to go, and yet we are still lacking behind, way behind, and the world will go to desert soon, with a lot less green, and not much we can do about it, there was something we can do about it back in the day, if we started working on it 20+ years ago, but it's too late now, and our grandchildren will live in a world with less green no matter what we do today. Second part is up to those nations, if these companies are not paying fair price for those materials, then don't sell it to them.

[shinratensei_]

Jobs are nice, and maybe there is some local tax money. But the real profit goes to people sitting in Silicon Valley or London, not those living above the mines. Another thing: Companies keep saying AI will help the environment because it wastes less. But if it makes mining even faster, are we just digging up the earth even quicker? Fewer failed holes = more "successes" = faster depletion. So much for the sustainability story

I'm 100% concerned for environment but aren't those resources eventually gonna get dug up? if AI can map the right place to prevent unnecessary digging. I'd still call that a win.
Human already so dependent on these resources anyway. The only truly viable way of saving environment is asteroid mining.

[slapper]

I was not aware AI was this useful to mining but it makes sense if AI can detect cancer better then a doctor there are many other sectors of endless raw data needing processing and apparently AI provides improvement often.   This just makes me more bullish on AI mostly.
   Technology never stands still, I believe it will become more efficient not less and the energy required too so this is an optimistic outlook to me.  With so much bad government and wars and natural failure always possible of course we need technology to continue its course not be stunted as some had feared the end of Moores law etc.

AI's usefulness is showing up everywhere from cancer diagnosis to finding copper.  It is not hard to understand why so many areas are being reimagined when you see AI processing huge amounts of data and identifying what humans cannot. It really does feel like there are no limits. Being optimistic is okay, too. I am the same way most days. Tech usually finds a way to work around limits, and yeah, energy use might get smarter with it. It is fair to be bullish on AI's upside

But here is the extra bit I keep coming back to: who owns that improvement? The tech is awesome, but if only a few companies control the data and models, the benefits can pile up in one corner, you know? I am not anti-progress. Far from it. However, I would like to ensure that more people have access to it instead of this centralized technology. With everything going on in the world (wars, bad governments, broken systems) tech sometimes feels like the one thing we can believe will push us forward. But maybe our real job is to push for openness and fairness as much as we chase efficiency

There are two different problems with what OP is talking about, related still very different two problems. One of them is the fact that AI is using a lot of resources, between using insane amount of energy (usually fossil fuel based) and the water needed to cool those huge data centres down, it becomes clear that we are seeing these AI companies are spending a ton of resources just to grow, and yes that is bad for the world, there is no doubt about that.

Secondly, the materials from third world countries, without paying a fair price. The first one can be fixed by cooling down the world, which we failed to do, renewable energy is the way to go, and yet we are still lacking behind, way behind, and the world will go to desert soon, with a lot less green, and not much we can do about it, there was something we can do about it back in the day, if we started working on it 20+ years ago, but it's too late now, and our grandchildren will live in a world with less green no matter what we do today. Second part is up to those nations, if these companies are not paying fair price for those materials, then don't sell it to them.

I read all the hype about clean tech and AI for good, but when you dig a little deeper, it is just as you described: most data centers are still run on coal and gas, and they consume massive quantities of water. It is a dirty secret. The tech giants talk about renewables, but their growth is so fast that clean energy just can’t keep up. The difference between what they promise and what is the reality is growing

You are also right that, if we would started the transition 20+ years ago, maybe we would be living in a different world now. We are stuck cleaning up a mess we did not make, and no matter how much tech we throw at it, the system is running out of time. On the second problem, you can see that the pattern is old: big companies take, pay little, move profits overseas, and leave the local people with scraps. It is easy for outsiders to say "just don't sell", but when you are facing poverty or a corrupt government, that is not much of a choice

Is it really "too late" for everything? Maybe some doors have closed, but there is still room for small pushes. For example, if more countries start demanding better contracts, or even team up to negotiate as a block, that’s pressure companies can’t ignore forever. Same with tech. If the community (not just the companies) pushes for real green energy, it can start to move the needle, even if it is slow

Jobs are nice, and maybe there is some local tax money. But the real profit goes to people sitting in Silicon Valley or London, not those living above the mines. Another thing: Companies keep saying AI will help the environment because it wastes less. But if it makes mining even faster, are we just digging up the earth even quicker? Fewer failed holes = more "successes" = faster depletion. So much for the sustainability story

I'm 100% concerned for environment but aren't those resources eventually gonna get dug up? if AI can map the right place to prevent unnecessary digging. I'd still call that a win.
Human already so dependent on these resources anyway. The only truly viable way of saving environment is asteroid mining.

AI does help us cut down on waste. When we are going to dig, better dig smart, not blind. I would prefer the land to have fewer scars and less destruction to get the same copper or lithium. In that respect, yes, it is a win. And the world runs on this stuff. We cannot just unplug overnight. Even electric cars, solar panels, all our "green" dreams need huge amounts of metals. That dependency is deep. Sometimes the solution seems to be impossible=

[BTC FutureKing]

Jobs are nice, and maybe there is some local tax money. But the real profit goes to people sitting in Silicon Valley or London, not those living above the mines. Another thing: Companies keep saying AI will help the environment because it wastes less. But if it makes mining even faster, are we just digging up the earth even quicker? Fewer failed holes = more "successes" = faster depletion. So much for the sustainability story

I'm 100% concerned for environment but aren't those resources eventually gonna get dug up? if AI can map the right place to prevent unnecessary digging. I'd still call that a win.
Human already so dependent on these resources anyway. The only truly viable way of saving environment is asteroid mining.

Obviously, this is a tool that knows every little thing, which is why it works by taking everything into account, and that is why it is also skilled in it, and as far as I know, it has even been predicted, which is why we have to unite while using it so that it does not cause any harm.

[Zlantann]

I read all the hype about clean tech and AI for good, but when you dig a little deeper, it is just as you described: most data centers are still run on coal and gas, and they consume massive quantities of water. It is a dirty secret. The tech giants talk about renewables, but their growth is so fast that clean energy just can’t keep up. The difference between what they promise and what is the reality is growing

You are also right that, if we would started the transition 20+ years ago, maybe we would be living in a different world now. We are stuck cleaning up a mess we did not make, and no matter how much tech we throw at it, the system is running out of time. On the second problem, you can see that the pattern is old: big companies take, pay little, move profits overseas, and leave the local people with scraps. It is easy for outsiders to say "just don't sell", but when you are facing poverty or a corrupt government, that is not much of a choice

This discussion reminds me of an article in BBC about how the rise of green tech is feeding another environmental crisis. Lithium mining companies' activities are causing the death of microorganisms, plants, and others, thereby affecting the food chain of living things in the area. Water levels are dropping in many locations because mining companies are using excessive water from a planet that is fighting climate change.

The inhabitants of these areas benefit little or nothing from these explorations, while the owners of these multinational companies and top government officials reap the benefits. Meanwhile, these locals bear the consequences of these mining processes, which are slowly destroying their means of survival.

[slapper]

I read all the hype about clean tech and AI for good, but when you dig a little deeper, it is just as you described: most data centers are still run on coal and gas, and they consume massive quantities of water. It is a dirty secret. The tech giants talk about renewables, but their growth is so fast that clean energy just can’t keep up. The difference between what they promise and what is the reality is growing

You are also right that, if we would started the transition 20+ years ago, maybe we would be living in a different world now. We are stuck cleaning up a mess we did not make, and no matter how much tech we throw at it, the system is running out of time. On the second problem, you can see that the pattern is old: big companies take, pay little, move profits overseas, and leave the local people with scraps. It is easy for outsiders to say "just don't sell", but when you are facing poverty or a corrupt government, that is not much of a choice

This discussion reminds me of an article in BBC about how the rise of green tech is feeding another environmental crisis. Lithium mining companies' activities are causing the death of microorganisms, plants, and others, thereby affecting the food chain of living things in the area. Water levels are dropping in many locations because mining companies are using excessive water from a planet that is fighting climate change.

The inhabitants of these areas benefit little or nothing from these explorations, while the owners of these multinational companies and top government officials reap the benefits. Meanwhile, these locals bear the consequences of these mining processes, which are slowly destroying their means of survival.

I have heard those tales as well: rivers running dry, scenery destroyed, the locals displaced as the "green" technology is awarded a new badge in the headlines. It is a shot in the stomach . and we cannot shut our eyes on it. It is frustrating how the story repeats: a company promises "progress" and "sustainability , but the people actually living near the mine pay the highest price. They end up with a couple of temporary jobs or handouts and someone in a far-off office tallies the actual profits

What really hits home for me is the double standard. We say we want a clean future, but we are willing to "outsource" the mess to places we do not see on TV, like deserts in Chile or villages in Africa. And when the water has gone, or the food chain has broken, it is not the CEOs or shareholders who suffer

The big question is, I suppose, how do we ensure that the communities, who are on the front line, get more than the leftovers? I do not mean money, but real control over what goes on their land and water. Perhaps data and technology might even be useful in this case, such as allowing locals to monitor what is going on, report abuses, or even insist on a fair share in some form of a resource contract on the blockchain. However, only when they are really in control, not merely observed

You are right to point this out. If we keep repeating the same mistakes, “green” tech is just another color for the same old story. So, what do you think would be a fair way to balance what the world needs and what these communities deserve?

[The Sceptical Chymist]

Even if we can’t achieve immortality literally, our lifespan will increase so much, we will able to live say 300 hundred years. That’s as good as immortality.

Lol.  I think in 15-20 years we're going to be looking back on posts like the above and giggle at how wrong they were--assuming we're able to search internet history for such things and AI hasn't pulled a Skynet and pulled the plug on information dispersal and blah blah blah.  It's anyone's guess how this is going to turn out.

Don't know a damn thing about AI and mining, but wow has it made item descriptions on ebay much worse than not even writing a description, which is what most lazy sellers had been doing for years.  They all look the same somehow.

on thee other side; there are healthcare/pharmacy/biotech companies finding the perfect products to increase our lifespan.

So....have any companies in those sectors actually done anything tangible toward increasing our lifespan?  If people keep smoking and waddling around at 400 lbs, there's not much big pharma can do to extend their lives (with or without AI).  Eh.  What the hell do I know?