Transforming mineral discovery with AI

A mineral-targeting platform is helping deliver vital resources more efficiently and sustainably

Spotted: The transition to net zero has led to something of a ‘gold rush’ for the critical metals – such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earths – that green technologies rely on. This surge in demand is leading to innovation across the metals supply chain. One startup working in this area is Earth AI. As suggested by its name, Earth AI uses AI-driven tools to scale mineral exploration.

Earth AI has built a system of AI-driven processes and technology called the Mineral Discovery Engine. The platform has been trained on 40 years of geological data from sources such as NASA. The startup’s technology suite includes a mineral targeting platform, a predictive tool that ‘replicates and scales the mind of a geoscientist’, fundamental geological analysis, and a modular drilling system that minimises the environmental impact of drilling.

To start, the mineral targeting platform predicts areas with mineral enrichment. The field team then samples the site and, if minerals are confirmed, geological research is conducted. At this point, drillholes are made and samples are tested. If this results in economic-grade ore, commercial drilling can commence.

Earth AI has had a number of funding rounds and has already partnered with several companies, including Tivan and Kincora Copper.

Meeting 2050 net-zero targets will increase demand for critical materials 16-fold compared with 2020 levels. Some innovations helping meet that need include extracting minerals from mining waste and other mineral discovery platforms.

Written By: Lisa Magloff