India’s GSI seeking to use AI to identify mineral deposits

The Geological Survey of India (GSI) is planning to use drones, AI, and machine learning (ML) to expedite the discovery of mineral deposits, the Economic Times reported on Friday, citing the state-run scientific agency.

The publication quoted the GSI’s director general as saying that AI is now facilitating sophisticated 4D geological modelling, allowing users to trace the development and evolution of geological structures and to identify areas where mineralization has occurred.

The Economic Times also noted that India’s mining secretary, Shri V.L. Kantha Rao, has said that conventional means of processing geoscientific data are time consuming, expensive, and not sufficiently reliable.

He has been urging organizations and startups involved in geological exploration to embrace these new technologies and to focus their efforts on the discovery of critical minerals, potash, and concealed deposits.