Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad, hosted an international workshop titled “International Workshop on Data and AI-Driven in Mineral Exploration”.

The objective of the workshop was to sketch out what a modern, data-driven framework for mineral exploration look like.

The idea, as several speakers suggested, is not just about faster or smarter discovery of resources, but about making exploration more sustainable, attractive for investors, and open to international collaboration.

Prof. Dr. Mumtaz Muhammad Shah, Chairperson of the Department of Earth Sciences and Project Director of the China-Pakistan Joint Research Center (CPJRC), reminded participants that the mining industry worldwide is already in the middle of a transformation. “Advanced technologies and data-driven methods are reshaping exploration and development,” he said.

For Pakistan a country with no shortage of mineral wealth but still without a unified national database, this moment may be both timely and necessary.

“It has become a pressing necessity to blend modern geoscientific tools with artificial intelligence and smarter data integration. By adopting these technologies, Pakistan could move exploration from guesswork to something far more precise, efficient, and potentially sustainable” he added.

Prof. Yongzhi Wang from Jilin University, China, described how geoscientific surveys today produce enormous amounts of data: geological, geophysical, geochemical, and remote sensing. He said these datasets can be overwhelming if combined with AI and machine learning, as , they can be automatically sifted, interpreted across different formats.

Several speakers pointed out that these technologies can be relevant to other sectors and jobs in fieldwork, logistics, software, and data science, including exploration projects.

These projects often bring with them roads, electricity, and communication networks which usually stay behind long after the drills move on.

The event featured research contributions from a range of experts including Dr. Atif Bilal, Jilin University, China, Dr. Khalid Amin Khan, Head of Exploration, OGDCL, Dr. Kateryna Hlyniana, Jilin University, China, Dr. Fahim Ullah, MEDO, Dr. Shiting Sheng, Jilin University, China, Prof. Jiangtao Tian, Xinjiang Academy of Geological Research, China, Dr. Fahad, UAJK, and Dr. Saleem UAJK.

The organizers were of the view that worksop symbolizes the growing collaboration between Pakistan and China in advancing mineral exploration through modern science and technology.