How AI & Voice Workflows Are Transforming Mining at Mining Indaba 2025
February 11, 2025
How AI & Voice Workflows Are Transforming Mining
At Mining Indaba 2025, Michael Zolotov, CTO of Razor Labs, and Joseph Starwood, Worldwide Mining Industry Leader at Microsoft, discussed how AI-driven predictive maintenance is reshaping the mining industry. Companies are seeking smarter ways to improve efficiency, enhance safety, and reduce disruptions. A key challenge is the backlog of unclosed work orders—tasks that remain open for months or even years, leading to downtime, higher costs, and safety risks.
Their conversation explored how Generative AI and voice-powered workflows are streamlining maintenance. By enabling workers to simply speak updates while AI logs, verifies, and closes work orders automatically, these solutions remove inefficiencies, allowing teams to focus on productivity rather than outdated manual processes.
Key Challenges in Mining Maintenance
Mining companies generate thousands of maintenance requests, but many struggle to track and close them efficiently. Unresolved work orders create a growing backlog that hinders real-time response to critical issues.
Another issue is reliance on paper-based reporting and manual data entry, leading to delays and errors. Many sites still operate without digital workflows, slowing decision-making and increasing operational risks.
In remote locations, infrastructure and literacy barriers make digital adoption difficult. Workers may lack access to modern tools or face challenges using written documentation, complicating maintenance processes.
How AI & Voice Workflows Solve These Challenges
AI-driven predictive maintenance analyzes sensor data to predict failures before they happen, reducing downtime and optimizing performance.
Voice-enabled workflows remove the need for manual reporting. Workers can simply speak updates—like “I replaced the pump bearing”—and AI logs and verifies the information automatically.
For remote sites, voice-powered AI eliminates the need for written documentation, ensuring seamless communication and efficient task completion.
The Future of AI in Mining
As discussed at Mining Indaba 2025, AI-powered predictive maintenance is no longer just a concept—it is actively transforming how mining operations function. Companies are moving from reactive maintenance approaches to truly predictive and prescriptive models, allowing them to optimize resources, reduce costs, and improve operational reliability.
With AI-driven solutions like DataMind AI™, Razor Labs is at the forefront of this shift, helping mining companies maximize uptime, streamline maintenance workflows, and enhance safety across their operations. By embracing AI-powered automation, mining companies can not only improve efficiency but also future-proof their operations for long-term success.
