15 Mining 4.0 – Utopia or Dystopia
Jan Johansson, Joel Lööw and Lena Abrahamsson
In previous chapters, we have described various development opportunities for future mining work. Here, we will try to summarize our experiences in two extremes, a negative dystopian and a positive utopian development. The two visions are documented and illustrated on https://www.simsmining.eu/project/attractive-workplaces/ The chapter concludes with six recommendations on how to start shaping the future of Mining 4.0 on human terms
How will Mining 4.0 affect tomorrow's mining work? There is no clear answer to that question. There is no inherent technological determinism in the development; the answer will depend on the choices that we make. It is up to us. The dystopian scenario yields this miserable picture:
You have to be grateful that you even have a job. Most of the jobs have disappeared, and the entire municipality is depopulated. There are some qualified jobs located in the control centre above ground, but most of these jobs have moved to town and are carried out remotely via the net. Some work is even done from India. It is not just an A and B team anymore; we now also have a C team. What remains is mostly maintenance work. We are wearing augmented-reality glasses and carrying out tasks according to the instructions that we receive from central maintenance or a machine supplier. Occasionally, we have to put on an exoskeleton if there is heavy lifting.
However, everything is not bad. The work is not as dangerous as before, because we do not work at the front currently, and there are no diesel vehicles anymore. Underground, everything is automated, but of course we must install the electricity and access points, and then you notice that the company has reduced the ventilation. The blasting gases remain far into the shift, and you can feel your head becoming heavier as the day drags on. What I miss most is my workmates; we have our mobile phones and tablets so that we can keep in touch with each other, but it is not the same as when working with the boys.
The utopian vision becomes much more pleasant to accept:
Most of the underground work is automated and no one works near the front anymore. The production control takes place from a bright and pleasant control room above ground. The routine monitoring work has been automated; with AI, you obtain better stability in production. Our professional role has been extended to include the entire value flow, from mountain to customer. If we see an opportunity for improvement, we can switch over to our digital twin to experiment and test the outcome. It is always fun if you can trim the production; then, not only financial measures but also so-called green measures apply, such as saving water or reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We are quite proud that our company takes a great social responsibility, not only for the environment but also for a prosperous society that can offer a rich social and cultural environment.
When something goes wrong in production, it is indicated on our mobile phones; usually, we can solve it with a few keystrokes. However, occasionally, we have to go into a VR model and perhaps direct a robot to a crusher to break apart a boulder. If the error has not occurred before, we occasionally have to go down into the mine to understand what has happened. When we are forced to go down into the mine, we always wear a safety vest with sensors so that one can follow where we are and warn if any dangerous environmental factor appears or if something seems strange in our health.
Last month, my daughter even started working for the company. She is a computer science major but works as much with my colleagues as she does with a computer. For a long time, I thought I would be the last miner in the family. It feels good to know that there will be a new generation and that young people have stopped moving away. It seems the company’s investments in the community, and insistence on training and using locals, really paid off.
The scenarios are exaggerated but probable. Mining 4.0 can definitely represent a positive development, but there are many questions that must be cleared. Based on our experiences and previous research, we want to bring forward six recommendations that can be considered the beginning of a road map for developing Mining 4.0 on human terms:
We need more ways of measuring success, ways that capture social factors.
Any reduction in the workforce must be managed with great transparency and in close cooperation with the trade unions.
All employees must be included in competence development; leave no one behind.
Create a flat organization that empowers employees and encourages their creativity.
Handle privacy and integrity issues in close cooperation with the trade unions and workers.
Embed all changes in a context of great social responsibility.
It is important that the mining industry is active in creating Mining 4.0, but we also know that it will take time and that there will be many obstacles along the way. To succeed, we must be vigilant and attentive to all aspects of modern mining, both future and past.