Dr Behnam Sadeghi, Chief Geoscientist (Data and AI) at ERITY, will present at the upcoming World Mining Congress 2026 taking place from 24–26 June in Lima, Peru.
His presentation, Smart Target Detection in Mineral Exploration: Harnessing AI Under Uncertainty, will explore how AI-supported, data-driven approaches can support more transparent and risk-aware mineral exploration decision-making.
The World Mining Congress 2026 unites global industry leaders, governments, investors and scientists in a shared mission to redefine how the mining industry delivers the minerals society urgently needs responsibly, efficiently, and sustainably.
It is a global platform for collaboration and action, driving trust, transformation and technology towards a thriving and sustainable future.
Abstract
Mineral exploration is inherently uncertain, with high investment costs and limited chances of discovery. Traditional decision-making approaches often focus either on geological potential or financial feasibility, but rarely integrate both in a rigorous, quantitative framework. To address this gap, we introduce an AI- and data-driven Return–Risk decision-making method that balances exploration success potential against geological, technical, and financial uncertainties. The proposed framework integrates heterogeneous datasets – including geochemical, geophysical, geological, and remote sensing information – with probabilistic models and machine learning techniques, with this study emphasizing geochemical data.
The approach combines frequentist and Bayesian principles to generate an optimized strategy for identifying targets that maximize element concentrations (defined as “Return”) while minimizing uncertainty, thereby improving confidence that geochemical signatures genuinely reflect mineralization influence. These measures are synthesized into a Return–Risk matrix, which enables prioritization of prospects not only by their expected reward but also by their associated uncertainty profile. Case studies demonstrate that this approach enhances decision transparency by explicitly showing trade-offs between high-return but high-risk prospects and lower-return but more reliable opportunities. By embedding explainable AI into the workflow, geoscientists and decision-makers gain interpretable insights into why a prospect is ranked as high or low priority. This is particularly critical in frontier terrains, where investment decisions must be justified despite limited data.
The Return–Risk method provides a bridge between geoscientific knowledge, advanced statistics, and economic reasoning. It allows stakeholders to optimize exploration portfolios, allocate budgets more effectively, and reduce decision bias. The framework is designed to be flexible and scalable, with applications ranging from greenfield regional targeting to advanced-stage prospect ranking. This contribution highlights how coupling AI with uncertainty quantification can transform mineral exploration into a more data-driven, transparent, and economically grounded process. Ultimately, the Return–Risk decision-making method empowers exploration companies to move beyond intuition-driven targeting toward systematic approaches that maximize discovery success while managing risk exposure.
ERITY Speaker
Smart Target Detection In Mineral Exploration: Harnessing Ai Under Uncertainty
Room: Puruchuco | Track: AI & Data-Driven Decision Making | Room: Puruchuco | Session: AI in Mineral Exploration Date: Thursday, June 25 | Session Time: 16:35 hrs. – 18:30 hrs. | Presentation Time : 17:40 hrs. 17:55 hrs.
Dr Behnam Sadeghi
Chief Executive Geoscientist (Data & AI)
Behnam a geoscientist with international experience in the mineral exploration industry. He has held technical and leadership roles across Australia, Europe, Africa, and Asia, with exploration experience across orogenic gold, porphyry copper, and VMS deposits.
His expertise sits at the intersection of geoscience and data science, integrating exploration geochemistry, mathematical geosciences, geostatistics, and geospatial analytics. He leads the development of uncertainty-aware, geology-interpretable AI workflows that convert multi-layer exploration datasets into defensible targets, helping reduce risk and cost in exploration programs
ERITY Delegate
Manny Claassens
Vice President, International Business Development
Chief Operating Officer – Energy
Manny leads business development with international experience across the energy, infrastructure, and technology sectors. He has held senior roles working with clients across Australia, the Asia-Pacific region, Africa, the Middle East, the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, and the United States. His global experience spans technically complex environments involving manufacturing, engineering, and application engineering capabilities, supporting organisations in securing major contracts and expanding into new markets.