Could AI help find valuable mineral deposits?
Computers have keener eyes than geologists
The future is electric. That means it will need a lot of batteries, motors and wires. That, in turn, means a lot of cobalt, copper, lithium and nickel with which to build them. Great times, then, for prospectors, and particularly for any who think they can increase the efficiency of their profession. Several firms are applying artificial intelligence (AI) to the process, both to improve the odds of surface strikes and to detect underground ore bodies that are invisible to current techniques.
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This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Ground truths”
From the November 4th 2023 edition
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