TECHNOLOGY
Can AI, data, digital tools and human capability help the industry grow, compete, and create value once again.
There is hope One CEO said technology can help a person do the job in 60% of the time and use the other 40% to think about how to do the job better. That is a beautiful description of augmentation. The study is not arguing for a future where people disappear. It argues for a future where people become safer, more productive, more capable and more valuable. The full study explicitly frames technology to augment workers rather than replace them. So, insight four is: The future of mining depends on people empowered by technology, not people displaced by technology. Why digital projects fail Insight five is one of the most useful sections because it deals with failure. The full study says technology can transform mining, but only if it is aligned with business needs and embraced by the people who use it. Without that alignment, even smart tools fall flat. The expensive system and the simple solution There was a standout example from the interviews that caught our attention – when a major ERP HR implementation failed because line management did not understand it or the value it provided. The purpose-built overtime tool for a fraction of the cost succeeded because users were involved and it solved the right problem. That is the lesson in one sentence: The best technology is not always the most expensive one. It is the one people use because it solves a real operational problem. The study lists the common causes of failure: misalignment of tools with business needs, lack of buy-in from line management, poor change management, siloed systems that do not talk to each other, and data that is collected but not processed. Data is the lifeblood Mining leaders need to fixate on getting the right data to the right person at the right time, avoid focusing only on gathering data, and build a strong data infrastructure that delivers clear actionable information. The study includes the powerful quote: “Data doesn’t help if it’s just data. It needs to be put through the funnel to get to wisdom.” This matters because mines generate enormous data volumes, but raw data is not the same as insight. Data needs governance, quality, ownership, platforms, skills and decision processes.
This is not a one-size-fits-all environment. The right technology for a greenfield mine may not be the right technology for a deep- level labour-intensive operation. The right answer depends on the ore body, the mining method, the workforce, the asset maturity and the operational problem being solved. Technology must match the mine There’s a clear warning: technology fails without people; data fails without understanding; innovation fails without trust. That is one of the strongest messages in the study. The opportunity is to layer digital tools onto existing infrastructure, but the risk is assuming that the tool itself will create value. It will not. Value comes when technology, process, data and people move together. So, insight three is: Do not force the mine to fit the technology. Start with the mine, the work, the people and the problem — then choose the technology. A human-centred mining approach Insight four is about people. This is where the South African context is central. The study tells us unemployment and inequality continue to drive scepticism around 4IR, particularly among low-income communities. Many fear that automation and digital technologies will lead to job losses, especially where education and formal skills are limited. So, technology adoption in South African mining cannot be discussed as a purely technical matter. It is also a social, labour, skills and trust matter. AI readiness is poor 70% of mines in the study rate their AI readiness as poor or very poor. This is not just a technology gap. It is a skills gap. Workers need to capture data accurately, interact with AI-enabled systems and build confidence in the use of digital tools. The study also notes that most employees are already familiar with smartphones, and AI can teach in home languages. It also points to satellite internet and mining company investment in digital literacy as realistic ways to bridge the rural divide. This is a powerful point: The biggest barrier is not only software. It is readiness — readiness of people, data, skills and operating models.
38 MODERN MINING www.modernminingmagazine.co.za | OCTOBER 2026
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