Botswana Diamonds (BOD), a company exploring diamonds in Botswana and South Africa, is turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to help uncover new diamond deposits. The company has a massive database of geological data from their exploration efforts, but it’s too big and complex for humans to analyze quickly. That’s where AI comes in.
BOD’s chairperson, John Teeling, explained that their mineral database is enormous, covering 95,000 square kilometers—the second-largest diamond exploration database in Botswana. With AI, they can analyze this data much faster than humans could. The AI program will review all the data, including 375,000 kilometers of airborne geophysical surveys, 606 ground surveys, 228,000 soil samples, and 32,000 drill hole logs. This process will help them find inconsistencies or gaps in the data that might lead to discovering new mineral-rich areas.
To make this happen, BOD is using a technology called Planetary AI Explore, developed in collaboration with International Geoscience Services. This AI combines semantic technology, which allows computers to understand and interpret data like humans do, with machine learning, where the system gets better the more it works with data.
The AI works similarly to how a geologist would, but much faster and more efficiently. It scans the massive datasets, looks for patterns, and identifies areas that might have been overlooked in the past. The goal is to find new “drillable targets”—places where BOD can start digging to see if there are diamonds or other valuable minerals underground.
Teeling is optimistic about the project, saying that using AI could lead to significant new discoveries that were previously missed. The company expects to have the first results from the AI analysis within the next four to six weeks, which could mark the beginning of a new phase in their exploration efforts.
By embracing AI, Botswana Diamonds is hoping to stay ahead in the competitive world of diamond exploration, using technology to unlock new opportunities faster than ever before.
Source: Mining Weekly
