Mining should prepare for future of technology and automation
| Date: Dec 7, 2017 |
| Global mining major BHP CEO Andrew Mackenzie says the mining industry has to show leadership and prepare its workforce for a future in which technology will play an ever-important role.
In a philosophical address at the Melbourne Mining Club this week that also delved into how the West and the East should mesh cultures to drive globalisation forward, Mackenzie said that business had to address legitimate anxiety about the economic dislocation, technology and relentless automation. He said that the mining sector should upskill its workforce for a fundamental change in the jobs mix, recruit the brightest minds from different sectors, develop more opportunities for young people and rural economies, and paint an “optimistic and convincing picture of a future where augmented reality, artificial intelligence and automation will touch every occupation”. “Technology lays the foundations for world-class manufacturing systems. These are the systems that cause people to work smarter and be more connected, that create more employment that shield our people from dangerous situations and make them safer and healthier. |
