Mining Seeks AI Boost for Higher Production
A recent Mining Summit in Santiago, Chile aimed to address the adoption of artificial intelligence and autonomous solutions in mining operations. The event was organized by AmCham Chile and Honeywell with sponsorship from Microsoft.
The summit highlighted the challenges faced by the mining industry, including decreasing copper concentrations in rock, a lack of specialized personnel, and high costs associated with unscheduled downtime.
According to José Simón, Vice President and General Manager for Latin America of Process Automation at Honeywell Technologies, advanced process control, training simulators, remote operation centers, and equipment performance management systems can help improve production. He emphasized the importance of leveraging existing plant infrastructure to deploy AI and autonomous operations.
Joaquín Villarino, Executive President of the Mining Council, warned that mining companies are struggling to utilize acquired technology due to a lack of capacity to use and leverage it. He urged management and boards of directors to dedicate time, training, and attention to technological transformation.