Modern geological exploration is moving to the language of numbers: today the success of the industry depends on the depth of data interpretation, and not on the volume of mechanical drilling. Artificial intelligence and machine learning help manufacturers overcome trend “scissors” - a situation where the quality of ore decreases and the demand for metals increases. At the technical session of the 16th mining forum MINEX Kazakhstan, it was clearly shown why neural networks are not a fad, but an economic imperative. Experts exchanged views on how the country, taking advantage of its geological heritage and relying on the synergy of science and business, can form a new ecosystem for subsoil management. Kazakhstan continues to digitize geology and subsoil use, introducing artificial intelligence and Big Data technologies. Since January 1, 2025, the Unified Subsoil Use Platform (USP) has been operating, on which all 22 government services have been transferred to a digital format. The service allows investors to directly interact not only with the line ministry, but also with regional akimats without intermediaries. 2026, declared by the Head of State as the Year of Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence, according to Vice Minister of Industry and Construction Zhannat Dubi
novaya, will become a landmark for the industry. Speaking at the MINEX Kazakhstan mining forum, the speaker demonstrated the work of an interactive map on which all available and active subsoil use areas are plotted, including not only solid minerals, but also hydrocarbon contracts. The entire life cycle of a license - from site selection and auction to payment via an electronic wallet - has been transferred to digital. The industry department paid special attention to “reviving” paper archives of the 50s–80s of the last century, implementing a large-scale project to scan and recognize texts and tables using artificial intelligence. According to the vice minister, AI is already capable of recognizing up to 10 types of documents and helping geologists convert old data into modern geological sections and interpretation layers. The National Geological Survey is undergoing a personnel transformation: modern geologists are learning data science skills, turning into big data specialists. The expert also noted the success of the transition to electronic reporting. Last year, 89% of documents on licensing and contract terms were accepted online, which significantly simplified communication with subsoil use
representatives and increased transparency. And all this work, as the vice minister emphasized, is being carried out to further attract investors through the creation of an open and transparent digital environment. Associate Professor of the Department of Geology and Exploration of Mineral Deposits of the Karaganda Technical University named after NJSC dedicated her speech to the significance of digitalization - economic and educational. A. Saginova" Aliya Mausymbayeva. At the same time, the speaker pointed out the existing illusion of digital transformation: if administrative management is already well digitized, then geology and production are not. According to her, today 56% of fields do not have modern data transmission networks, only 21% are equipped with modern IT systems and networks, and 23% require a complete replacement of technical equipment. At the same time, the expert provided specific figures on the effectiveness of technology implementation: an increase in productivity by 15–20%, a reduction in energy costs by up to 65% and a reduction in waste by 20% thanks to precise planning. The professor emphasized that digitalization is, first of all, a way to transform data into an asset that increases the capitalization of companies. – And the main barrier now is –
not technology, but lack of integration and competencies. In the IT landscape of the industry, geological exploration, production, logistics, and finance are not interconnected, so the data obtained loses value: end-to-end planning is impossible, there is no expected efficiency from investments, emphasized Aliya Mausymbayeva. Modern geology has moved away from the expensive expert guesswork of the 1990s to digital models that integrate dozens of databases. Yes, forecasting models have existed for a long time, but the current stage is characterized by large-scale digitalization of historical data. And, as was stated during the technical session dedicated to innovations in the mining and metals industry, it is possible to extract the maximum benefit from them only with the synergy of three forces: the state, business and science. SRK Consulting geologist Laura Ward discussed the practical benefits of data analysis in detail in her report. Comparing different methods of work when creating perspective maps, the expert pointed to the abandonment of purely expert studies of the 1990s, calling them ineffective and expensive by modern standards. New methods, including analysis of historical data, make it possible to see through the upper layers of the subsurface and find hidden deposits, which means
saving the budget. But despite the active implementation of artificial intelligence technologies, fundamental geological understanding remains key, noted Laura Ward. The CEO of Stratum AI, Farzi Yusufali, used practical cases to prove that when searching for new deposits, enormous value is hidden in rethinking data about existing objects. Where old methods saw rock, modern AI can find rich ore. According to her, we often do not admit that geologists could have made mistakes before and that, for example, the core could have been diagnosed incorrectly. Therefore, Farzi Yusufali and his team now spend up to 60% of their working time on finding non-linear relationships between data to search for hidden pointers to minerals. When training AI, they combine different data sets into different models, which allows them to verify predictions and reduce the number of errors. Thus, using data from the Soviet period, AI revised the zones considered waste at the Kazakh Aksu field, which made it possible to reestimate reserves. The director of the resource price also spoke about advanced scientific developments in the field of intelligent prospecting and safe mining
tra Stanford University David Zhen Yin. The specialist elaborated on the methodology for making drilling decisions. He compared this process to a game of chess, where the opponent is the Earth itself: each step deeper updates the geological model, requiring processing of thousands of measurements using AI. The expert cited the discovery of a large copper deposit, which was the result of a collaboration between science and industry, as a success of this approach. Thus, the session participants stated, the digitalization of geological exploration has gone beyond a simple IT update. Today it is an economic tool that allows countries to take leading positions in the global demand for highly sought-after metals. The synergy of government regulation (transparency of services), academic science (new search algorithms) and business practice (effective additional exploration) creates a unique ecosystem. The winners will be those players who are the first to learn how to turn geological data into a strategic asset. The future of geology lies in open architecture, the introduction of AI as a service, and constant training of personnel in new digital competencies.
