China unveiled two geological mapping and mineral exploration systems powered by artificial intelligence technologies on Friday, marking a shift from decades of expert-driven fieldwork to more accurate, comprehensive, and efficient data-and-algorithm-based predictions.

　　The two systems — AI-GeoMapping and AI-OreSeeking — were released by the China Geological Survey of the Ministry of Natural Resources at the 28th China Mining Conference and Exhibition in Tianjin, as the country pushes to secure critical mineral supplies.

　　Geological mapping serves as a road map for the subsurface mineral realm, revealing how strata, structures, and rocks are distributed. It is the most fundamental and critical prerequisite work for discovering mineralization clues and delineating prospecting target areas, according to Li Fengdan, an official with the China Geological Survey who is responsible for AI-GeoMapping.

　　After a decade of development work, the system has evolved from breakthroughs in core AI algorithms and specialized software platforms to a full-process intelligent ecosystem, Li added.

　　Li said that the system addresses long-standing field challenges, such as inaccessible rugged terrain, limited rock exposure under forest, swamp, or desert cover, and the complexities of identifying geological units across extensive survey areas.

　　"It identifies geological features with 90 percent accuracy and lifts data processing efficiency by more than half compared with conventional methods," Li said, noting that the system fuses satellite imagery, airborne geophysical surveys, and ground observations through AI.

　　The research team overcame key technical hurdles, including AI-driven geological object recognition based on field route deep learning, as well as multimodal fusion of geological, geophysical, geochemical, and remote sensing data.