【Ferro-alloys.com】：Australia’s mining sector is on the brink of a revolution – AI, critical minerals and national security are rewriting the rules, according to Deloitte Global’s Tracking the Trends 2026 report.

The 18th annual edition explores the key forces likely to impact mining over the next 12 to 18 months and highlight the growing need for collaboration across the sector.

“The trends impacting the mining and metals sector feel almost unprecedented, and Australia is in the eye of the storm,” Deloitte Australia mining and metals leader Nicki Ivory said.

“Our abundant critical mineral supply, once seen primarily as an energy transition enabler, is now at the centre of global national security discussions,” Ivory said.

She said companies are expected to balance powering clean energy with reinforcing defence strategies, all while meeting growing consumer demand.

“Meanwhile, the exponential growth of AI is presenting transformative opportunities to elevate operational resilience and competitiveness by boosting productivity and revolutionising mineral discovery,” Ivory said.

“Off-site, the arrival of agentic AI is forcing a rethink of how workforces should be structured in a world where humans and agents work side by side.”

AI, combined with other emerging technologies, is also accelerating the move towards smart operations, Ivory said, with fully connected ecosystems where assets, systems, and people work together in real time to make mining safer, faster and more reliable.

Deloitte Global mining and metals leader Ian Sanders said the question for the mining and metals industry is no longer whether we can supply the materials that power global progress, but how we do so in a way that uplifts people, economies, and ecosystems alike.

“True transformation will likely depend on working together to create the trust, agility and shared vision needed to turn complexity into collective progress,” he said.

The report identifies ten trends shaping the sector, including critical minerals as a national security priority, AI for operational excellence, future-proofing portfolios, redefining mineral exploration, and scaling sustainability adaptation – pointing to an industry navigating technology, security and sustainability simultaneously.

• [Editor:Alakay]