Autonomous Gold Mining
Polyus is developing and rolling out a fully autonomous gold-processing plant controlled by artificial intelligence.
Gold-Bearing AI
Polyus, Russia’s largest gold producer, is developing and deploying a fully autonomous gold-processing plant that will be controlled by artificial intelligence. The AI system is designed to integrate the entire value chain – from geology and mining to processing and logistics – optimizing operations, improving efficiency, and reducing resource consumption. The initiative was outlined by Alexey Vostokov, CEO of Polyus, at the Future Minerals Forum held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on January 14, 2026.
The project marks a pivotal step in the digitalization and robotization of Russia’s mining industry and represents the first publicly presented concept of an unmanned processing plant in gold mining. Operating models across the sector are poised for rapid transformation. The shift from traditional extraction toward high-tech, resource-efficient models is already underway.
Each mine will operate around its own AI-driven “cognitive center.” This system links geology, processing, logistics, and even global markets in real time. Human staff transition into system coordinators rather than hands-on operators. At Polyus sites, a centralized production control center is already in operation, overseeing everything from drilling and blasting to ore haulage. This integrated approach improves utilization of mining equipment and significantly reduces downtime.
Looking ahead, processing plants of the future will be managed by AI systems that continuously monitor every operational parameter. Working conditions will evolve toward higher safety and comfort, with personnel functions concentrated entirely in control centers. Within a decade, the company expects to move beyond conventional extraction models altogether.
A Strategic Resource Base
Russia’s gold-mining industry is a core pillar of the national economy, spanning exploration, extraction, processing, and sales. The country consistently ranks among the world’s top three gold producers, with reserves estimated at roughly 22% of global totals. Gold remains a key export commodity.
Major players include Polyus, Highland Gold, UMMC, Polymetal, Nordgold, Pavlik, Norilsk Nickel, and Yuzhuralzoloto. The primary production regions are Krasnoyarsk Krai, Magadan Region, and the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). Polyus controls the largest mineral resource base in the country, including the strategically significant Sukhoi Log deposit in Irkutsk Region, one of the world’s largest untapped gold reserves.
Hundreds of new deposits are discovered annually. According to forecasts from Russia’s Central Research Geological Exploration Institute, national gold output is expected to peak around 2030, potentially reaching 600–700 tonnes depending on exploration efficiency and the pace of new project development.
Technology With Global Reach
The autonomous processing plant significantly enhances the competitiveness of Russia’s mining sector by boosting productivity and lowering production costs. Based on accumulated expertise, similar “smart enterprises” could later be deployed in other heavy-industry regions.
On the global stage, a fully autonomous plant raises the innovation bar for the mining sector and could become an exportable automation technology for overseas mining companies, particularly in developing economies. In this model, the gold-extraction technology itself becomes a competitive asset.
An autonomous gold-processing plant represents the convergence of AI, big data, and industrial automation. Beyond increasing ore-processing throughput, it reduces operating and resource costs, minimizes human-factor risks to safety, and enables a highly efficient, continuous extraction process.
Over time, adoption of autonomous processing plants could establish a new industry efficiency standard, strengthening Russia’s position as both a major raw-material supplier and a technology exporter.
Step by Step Toward Scale
Polyus began implementing key IT solutions to optimize mining operations in 2021. The company plans to double output by 2030, targeting annual production of 6 million ounces of gold once major projects come online. This would position Polyus as the world’s second-largest gold producer. The Sukhoi Log project is central to this growth strategy, with investments already totaling $6 billion. Elevated gold prices in 2025–2026 have further reinforced the sector’s investment appeal.
The deployment of a fully autonomous gold-processing plant marks a turning point for the industry, with the potential to reshape gold extraction and processing across Russia and set a new development trajectory on the global market.
