MINING IN FOCUS
MACHINE LEARNING
IN GEOLOGY
In recent years there has been a great deal of excitement in geological
and mining circles regarding machine learning or deep learning, as it is
also known. Nicolaas C. Steenkamp and Breton Scott investigate this
phenomenon.
O
ver the past few years there has been an increasing
interest in Machine Learning (ML), or deep learning,
especially among exploration geologists. Due to the
large volume of complex information, it has become
challenging to understand if, and where, this tool fits
into consultation businesses or mining operations.
this will contribute to even further job losses in the mining sector due
to the shift towards automation and mechanisation.
Why the hype?
ML has also become one of the main topics when discussing the fourth
industrial revolution. Concerns have, however, also been expressed that The main considerations when undertaking an ML-based geological
project is to consider the data you have available and if it is the right
Machine Learning (ML) has been around since the 1980s, but the
commercial use has only gained traction in the last four years due to
affordable, high performing Graphical Processing Units (GPUs). Also,
easy access to cloud computing allows for the capability of complex
computations that are fast and cheap enough for anyone outside of a
research organisation to use. The question remains, is there substance to the hype? According to
the Gartner Hype Cycle, ML is still in the ‘peak of inflated expectations’.
It’s currently on the downward trend heading towards to the ‘trough
of disillusionment’ and is not expected to reach the ‘plateau of
productivity’ for another two to five years. It should also be noted that
ML is not the same as Artificial Intelligence (AI). ML is only focused on
data processing techniques that solve a specific problem for an AI or
human. AI is a combination of different techniques, including ML, to
solve complex/multifaceted problems that only humans can do today.
As mining companies look to explore in frontier regions of
the world, technology like AI and ML will play an increasingly
important role.
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African Mining September 2019
49