Digging smarter: how AI is driving safety, sustainability and scale in mining

Australia’s mining industry is a cornerstone of our economy but stands at a turning point today. Faced with rising safety expectations, pressure to decarbonise and an acute skills shortage, the sector must evolve. As MARK BUCKLAND, Resources and Utilities Director at Avanade explains, AI is no longer a futuristic add-on — it’s becoming the engine room of safer, smarter and more sustainable mining practices.

In mining, where the stakes are high and mistakes can be costly, AI has emerged as one of the most transformative technologies. While the appetite is strong, there’s work to be done. AI isn’t a silver bullet. But when embedded with the right people, processes and platforms, it becomes a multiplier of productivity, safety and insight.

Mining and AI: a collision of tradition and transformation

For an industry steeped in tradition and scale, mining is under increasing pressure to modernise — and it’s happening fast. Across Australia, AI is already powering everything from autonomous haulage systems to real-time emissions monitoring. According to a 2024 report by the Minerals Council of Australia, digital technologies, including AI, are expected to deliver over $74 billion in value to the mining sector by 2030, primarily through productivity and efficiency gains.¹

But this transformation extends beyond the pit. The integration of AI is also reshaping workforce needs, driving a new wave of reskilling across regional communities. As mining operations become more data driven, local economies also stand to benefit. Not just through creation of new roles, but by fostering new ecosystems of innovation in regional Australia.

Safer mines with smarter technology

AI is emerging as one of the industry’s most powerful tools for improving safety — a longstanding and critical challenge in mining. From predictive maintenance that prevents multimillion-dollar breakdowns, to AI vision systems that monitor driver fatigue and detect hazards in real time, technology is enhancing OHS across the board. It’s particularly powerful in remote or underground sites where human visibility is limited, and every second counts.

Mining companies are now using AI in smarter, more targeted ways to reduce risk. For example, some organisations are using AI-powered digital twins of their process plants to optimise maintenance and reduce the risk of unexpected failures — helping teams act before issues escalate. Computer vision is also being deployed via fully automated drones to detect corrosion with pinpoint accuracy, reducing reliance on manual inspections and minimising human error.

Generative AI is creating tailored, site-specific training materials that reflect local conditions, demographics and historical incidents, helping workers better understand and manage risks. Meanwhile, anomaly detection systems are turning real-time operational data into frontline insights, enabling faster, safer decision-making.

By augmenting human decision-making with real-time data and automation, AI is not only reducing risk — it’s helping to build a safer, more sustainable future for mine workers across Australia.

Closing the skills gap with AI-augmented workforces

Australia’s mining sector talent shortage could stall growth in the years ahead. According to a 2022–27 workforce forecast by the Australian Resources & Energy Employer Association, the mining industry would need approximately 24,000 new workers by 2026 to meet its growth targets.² But this isn’t just about more boots on the ground — it’s about smarter, tech-enabled boots.

AI also presents a chance to attract new talent. The use of AI opens new pathways to attract digitally native talent and people who may never have considered mining but are drawn to a new frontier of data science, robotics and sustainability — areas that appeal to a new generation of workers and that are helping mining rebrand from a hard-hat industry to a high-tech one.

Building the digital core for mining’s next phase

To fully realise the benefits of AI, mining companies must first build the digital foundations to support it. That means modernising legacy systems, improving data governance and breaking down silos that stifle innovation. For mining leaders, this is the moment to assess whether their digital environments are truly fit for purpose. Is the data architecture agile enough to support AI models? Are systems interoperable, secure and scalable? Without this foundation, even the most ambitious AI initiatives will struggle to deliver lasting value.

The age of AI in mining has arrived. The question is no longer whether to embrace it, but how to do so ethically, responsibly and at scale. For a sector that contributes over 10% of Australia’s GDP and anchors the livelihoods of many regional communities, this is more than a technology choice. It represents a generational opportunity to future-proof one of nation’s most critical industries. How mining leaders navigate this moment will not only define the next era of the industry but help shape the trajectory of Australia’s broader industrial future.

^{1. 2024 Annual Report https://minerals.org.au/resources/2024-annual-report/}

^{2. Resources and energy workforce forecast: 2022–2027 https://www.calameo.com/read/000373495435f7298c03d}

Image credit: iStock.com/standret. Stock image used is for illustrative purposes only.