From data to discovery: How VRIFY is revolutionizing mineral exploration with AI

As the demand for critical minerals grows to power the things we enjoy in our everyday lives — including the phone or computer you’re reading this on — industries are turning to AI to make data-driven solutions to accelerate discoveries, improve transparency, and secure investment.

At the 42nd annual AME Roundup, VTJ sat down with VRIFY, a B.C.-based AI mineral discovery platform, to explore how its cutting-edge technology is transforming the industry by redefining how exploration decisions are made and how entire supply chains start.

Sitting at the intersection of AI technology and geoscience, VRIFY and its team of 95 people have developed an AI mineral discovery platform that synthesizes and transforms complex data into actionable insights. Its technology uses proprietary AI and deep-learning models to interpret and visualize this data, ultimately discovering patterns that would be difficult and time-intensive to do manually. As the first-of-its-kind to market, the platform gains an edge by using a proprietary database that integrates public data with anonymized private data. This approach enables more robust experimentation — allowing clients to test hypotheses remotely rather than in the field — accelerating discoveries, while eliminating human biases and reliance on historical assumptions.

JP Paiement, VP of AI and mineral targeting at VRIFY, explains, “By integrating our industry-leading database, we help our clients predict areas of potential mineralization based on probabilistic modelling and proprietary algorithms. Our AI mineral discovery platform processes geological data through specialized models, like Vision Transformers [ViT], tailored to different deposit types. This accelerates exploration tenfold, as our algorithms leverage an extensive training database — making the models more accurate. Reducing the time needed to generate insights from months to minutes, we enable our clients to prioritize exploration efforts and identify areas with high mineralization potential.”

This process generates what the company calls a VRIFY Prospectivity Score (VPS), highlighting the potential mineral systems its clients are seeking. The result is a multidimensional prediction map that enables mineral exploration companies to confidently make discovery decisions and communicate more clearly — with real-world data — to shareholders and investors. This level of clarity is particularly valuable in an industry where investment decisions have historically lacked transparency and the barriers to entry for retail investors have been difficult to overcome.

As demand for minerals continues to rise, the company says that this data-driven approach will be even more critical. Not only do companies need to secure investment, but they also need to stay agile, ready to innovate when emerging green technologies create demand for a previously under-valued mineral. With its proprietary database, VRIFY’s AI mineral discovery platform will be positioned to navigate these shifts and support the industry’s evolving needs, all supported by a team of industry experts in AI, ML, and geoscience.

“We’re confident that what we’re building is the innovation that this industry needs,” notes Steve de Jong, VRIFY’s CEO. “Though more advanced technology is gaining traction in mineral exploration, there is a huge opportunity for the next generation to come in and drive change, giving new geoscientists and AI and machine learning engineers the chance to build something that will have real-world impact and support the future of our supply chains.” 

While the opportunity for change and innovation is evident, the talent pipeline has yet to catch up. 

“We’re at an inflection point,” de Jong explains. “It’s essential to show students and future leaders that the industry is evolving. Although historically slower to adapt, the momentum is here, and there’s a space for them to help shape the future — to shape something really meaningful.”

The team at VRIFY is committed to revolutionizing mineral exploration by refining its AI mineral discovery platform, building their proprietary database, and growing a team that supports both.

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