Panacea vs. practicality: the future and promise of autonomy in mining

Article originally appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal. Read the May 2025 issue. 

This article is authored by Theresa Sapara, EY Americas Metals & Mining Center of Excellence Co-Lead
and Daniel Morales, Consulting Manager, EY Americas Metals & Mining Center of Excellence

Autonomous mining offers promise, but successful adoption depends on managing workforce, infrastructure and operational complexity.

In brief

• Autonomy in mining offers transformative safety and productivity benefits, but integration requires careful planning and investment.
• Workforce retraining, technical infrastructure and adjusting management operating systems are key considerations for brownfield sites looking to implement autonomous systems.
• Peer reviews de-risk implementation and align stakeholders for better long-term outcomes.

In the face of mounting pressures, autonomy in mining is sometimes touted as a potential silver bullet — a transformative solution that promises to address the industry’s most pressing challenges. From enhancing safety and productivity to mitigating labour shortages and advancing sustainability initiatives, the allure of autonomous technology is undeniable. However, while the potential benefits are appealing, successful integration requires resolving multiple practical hurdles. Understanding the true implications of autonomy is key to unlocking its full potential.

Practical constraints of autonomous adoption

Despite its promise, many mining companies, particularly brownfield operations, must address barriers to adopting autonomous technology. These include workforce readiness, capital constraints, network infrastructure, and ensuring appropriate and sustained technical and practical support, especially during the planning and ramp-up phases.

Shifting to autonomous operations requires significant workforce readiness, including extensive retraining for employees. Transitioning to unmanned processes represents a substantial shift in operations, requiring new roles, oversight and organizational adjustments. Traditional roles, such as equipment operators, will transition to more advanced positions like fleet managers, necessitating new skills and changes in operational modes.

Additionally, maintenance becomes more complex, as it must cover not only mechanical systems but also electronic components and software packages that need regular updates. The procurement of specialized parts can also affect supply chains and overall operational efficiency.

Cybersecurity measures are also crucial for protecting these autonomous fleets from potential threats, ensuring the integrity and safety of mining operations.

Last, both a practical understanding of the ramp-up period and recognition of possible short-term impacts to productivity losses during initial integration phases are equally key.

Indeed, EY’s Top 10 risks and opportunities for mining and metals companies in 2025 report indicates that despite “innovation” as a category dropping to 10th among top concerns for mining leaders, the industry’s focus on innovation persists, with more than half of global respondents (54%) anticipating increased investment in the coming year. Despite capital, geopolitical and regulatory headwinds, this desire for technological advancement remains strong.

But while autonomy presents attractive advantages, it is capital intensive and often limited largely to big-pocket players. Looking forward, the standardization of autonomous machines may increase their availability and lower costs, which smaller companies can benefit from. Ultimately, low-cost standardized autonomous machines have shown they can redefine constructive activities, such as mining, farming and manufacturing. Regardless of subsector, a change management strategy remains fundamental to helping determine when the jump to autonomy becomes practical.

Impact and potential of autonomous haulage systems

Among the various automated technologies at the sector’s disposal, autonomous haulage systems (AHS) are particularly gaining traction. EY’s latest market data reveals mining executives and technical experts alike overwhelmingly view AHS as a pivotal element for the industry’s future, driven by the need for improved safety measures, cost reduction and productivity enhancement.

Specifically, AHS has the potential to enhance safety by removing operators from hazardous environments, allow better control on wear and tear of equipment, decrease fuel consumption and mitigate labour shortages in regions like Australia and Canada.