South Africa's mining industry risks increased inequality through the adoption of fourth industrial revolution technologies unless automation is matched by stronger governance and workforce support, according to a review published in the International Journal of Mining and Mineral Engineering. The fourth industrial revolution refers to the growing use of digital technologies to improve industrial operations.
The researchers reviewed peer-reviewed research alongside industry and policy reports to distinguish documented effects from speculation. They found that adoption of technologies such as autonomous vehicles, drones, smart sensors and artificial intelligence (AI) is constrained by high investment costs, a shortage of specialist skills, regulatory uncertainty and resistance to organizational change.
Digital technology can increase productivity, improve safety and enable real-time monitoring of equipment and hazards. The review found, however, that documented risks—including job displacement among low- and semi-skilled workers, security threats to critical infrastructure, ethical concerns over AI-driven decision-making, digital workplace surveillance and the exclusion of smaller suppliers unable to meet technology-intensive standards—are ongoing problems in the sector.
