Mining and exploration are shifting, with technology being a main driver of change, instigating rapid innovation across the industry, from automated core logging to AI-driven targeting. 

Now, the industry has an opportunity to weigh in on how technology – AI specifically – is transforming exploration and mining operations as part of an industry-wide survey aimed at identifying adoption trends, barriers and emerging priorities.

The survey aims to bring more clarity to how new technologies and tools are actually being applied and what  changes they will bring.

Why it matters 

While the industry is evolving, understanding the true impact of these technologies can be clouded with confusion. Are AI tools helping teams find resources more efficiently? Are they solving age-old exploration challenges? Or are they creating new gaps in skills and workflows?

Answers to these questions – and important others – are what the survey seeks. 

With so many potential solutions and different ways of implementing them, it can be difficult to separate perception from reality and understand how technology is actually being adopted and changing the industry.

This industry initiative, led by mining software technology company VRIFY, in collaboration with global market research firm Ipsos, seeks to gather feedback from geologists, mining executives, technical professionals and investors to build a comprehensive picture of how digital tools are being used across the sector.

The survey builds on last year’s inaugural report, which attracted approximately 500 downloads and highlighted both the growing interest in digital technologies and the challenges companies face in implementing them. Many questions from the previous survey have been retained to enable year-over-year comparisons. By maintaining consistent methodology, the survey aims to build a credible, objective report on how technology and innovation are evolving across the industry.

With less than 30 questions, the survey is composed of multiple choice questions with select open-ended prompts designed to capture deeper experiences and insights. It takes approximately 10 minutes to complete, with all responses kept confidential and reported only in aggregate. 

The results will be published in a report later this year, offering participants and the wider industry a benchmark for technology adoption.

Broad range of participants invited  

A broad cross-section of respondents will help ensure the findings accurately represent the deeply multifaceted mining sector. The survey is open to mining professionals across the value chain, from exploration through production, and organizers hope participation from companies of all sizes and jurisdictions will produce the most representative results.

The more participants, the more accurately the survey’s report will reflect the current state of the industry, making the insights and resulting report more meaningful and representative. 

Previous findings from last year’s report identified several persistent obstacles to technology adoption, including budget constraints and uncertainty around return on investment. This year’s survey is expected to revisit those themes while exploring how attitudes toward emerging technologies have evolved over the past year.

As much as we know change is the only constant in our industry, we also know there’s no way of predicting exactly what the future holds. As such, the 2026 Mineral Exploration Tech Survey and Report aims to shed light on the state of mining and mineral exploration today, helping the industry make more informed decisions about where it’s headed next.

Take the survey 

The survey is now live and open until mid-September, with findings to be released following the completion of data collection.

Whether you’re a geoscientist, CEO, VP of Exploration, or other mining professional, take the 2026 Mineral Exploration Tech Survey here.