JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The increased efficiencies achieved by AI are ensuring that even lower quality operations are kept going for longer which benefits all stakeholders, Thungela Resources CEO Moses Madondo made clear to Coal & Energy Transition Day attendees on Wednesday, July 22.
Madondo did so in response to mining luminary and event chairperson Bernard Swanepoel drawing attention to the propensity of CEOs announcing the number of people that they were laying off because of the benefits of AI and asking about the prospect of AI reducing coal mining workforces.
“It's always been a confused conversation. I think we like to pronounce on things because it's a nice sound bite. It scares everyone that AI is going to replace people's jobs. You can go back to the conversations last ten years.
“People are revisiting those conversations because with all technology development, that story always arises. But all technology development grows economies and industries and creates more jobs, and that's the nature of the beast.
“Even for us, where we're using AI, we're getting more efficiencies, ensures we keep even our lower quality operations going longer. So, all of us take advantage of the opportunities that technology provides, and that's how we should think about it,” Madondo emphasised at the event covered by Mining Weekly. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)
