Within the framework of the largest CIPR-2026 technology conference, the country’s leadership and leaders of the mining and metallurgical sector discussed the large-scale IT transformation of the industry, smart management of mining equipment and the introduction of artificial intelligence into ore mining and processing.
The key plenary session “Made in Russia” was held in Nizhny Novgorod.: digital transformation of industry”. One of the main discussion vectors was the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) into heavy industry. The experience of digitalization of mining and metallurgical production was presented by Vladimir Potanin, President of MMC Norilsk Nickel, who announced the real economic and production results of using intelligent systems.
Smart mining planning
As the head of Norilsk Nickel noted, the accumulated array of machine-readable data and the systematic increase in the level of automation at enterprises have created the necessary foundation for the effective deployment of artificial intelligence. As part of the work of the Industrial Competence Center (ITCC), the company switched to the practical use of advanced algorithms in mining.
Modern AI is capable of solving tasks inaccessible to human analysis in real time: the system instantly optimizes the most complex mining parameters, from adjusting the drilling angle to managing the development of prepared ore reserves. According to the company’s forecasts, the introduction of these tools will improve the quality of ore by 5% and minimize its dilution (extraction of excess waste rock from mines).
Mikhail Mishustin, Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, also supported the introduction of intelligent systems in the mining sector. In his speech, he gave an example of successful dispatching AI management of mining dump trucks at the largest Russian fields, which makes it possible to optimize the routes of movement of equipment and minimize downtime. In addition, the Prime Minister said that specialized versions of control systems have appeared on the domestic market, adapted to the deep specifics of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, including blast furnace and steelmaking, as well as the production of rolled metal.
Billion-dollar returns and reaction speed
Today, intelligent assistants accompany the entire enrichment chain, from primary ore crushing to flotation processes and the release of finished metallurgical concentrate. The calculation of millions of technological parameters makes it possible to increase the extraction of metals by several percent, which, on the scale of an industry giant, is converted into enormous profits.:
• current economic impact: today, the use of AI solutions brings Norilsk Nickel about 10 billion rubles of additional profit per year;
• Strategic guideline: by 2030, the company expects to record an annual economic impact of at least 50 billion rubles.
The main advantage of AI is the speed of optimization. If a human operator, guided by the prompts of the system, is physically able to change the technological mode every 5-7 minutes (and this is the limit of human capabilities in conditions of severe stress), then artificial intelligence reconfigures the parameters in a matter of seconds, keeping production in perfect mode. Nevertheless, the key role remains with the person: the operator continuously monitors the process and takes control if it goes beyond the critical safety parameters.
Secure clouds and environmental monitoring
A unique case for the domestic industry was presented at the conference: Norilsk Nickel was the first company in the country to successfully bring sensitive corporate data to the cloud, while fully maintaining the highest level of cybersecurity required by industrial holdings.
In addition to purely production tasks, digitalization helps to reduce anthropogenic pressure. Potanin highlighted the Axiom environmental control program developed at the CIC, designed for operational monitoring and control of industrial emissions into the atmosphere.
What does the market need from the regulator?
The head of Norilsk Nickel stressed that at the current stage, major players in the mining and metallurgical sector need not so much direct government subsidies as the formation of a full-fledged sales market and scaling of the created technologies. To adapt software products to the needs of end users, the corporation builds extensive implementation chains with partners.
To maintain the pace of industry development, a favorable regulatory regime is vital, which will accelerate the certification of IT products, as well as the introduction of experimental regimes to simplify the procurement of artificial intelligence systems by government customers. Otherwise, the domestic industry risks losing time and falling behind global optimization models.