Russia Bets on AI to Revolutionize Mining and Slash Costs

With new investments in digital innovation, Russia is targeting breakthroughs in mineral exploration and extraction—using AI to cut drilling costs by 60%.

Russia is preparing to accelerate the development of high-tech metallurgy to gain a strategic edge in mining critical resources. According to Antonina Levashenko of the Gaidar Institute, the focus is on digital and AI-driven technologies to speed up exploration and reduce extraction costs.

President Vladimir Putin recently told business leaders that the country must prioritize cutting-edge mining tech. The use of artificial intelligence in geological surveys, lithium extraction, synthetic graphite production, and the recovery of rare earth metals from ion-adsorption clay could significantly drive down production costs.

In particular, AI integration in geological exploration is expected to reduce drilling costs by 60% and quadruple the speed of extraction. This is especially crucial for mining projects that currently take up to 15 years to reach full production and struggle to break even.

While these digital metallurgy projects will require state investment, experts say they will lead to major long-term savings—and position Russia as a tech leader in the global mining sector.