Jobs are nice, and maybe there is some local tax money. But the real profit goes to people sitting in Silicon Valley or London, not those living above the mines. Another thing: Companies keep saying AI will help the environment because it wastes less. But if it makes mining even faster, are we just digging up the earth even quicker? Fewer failed holes = more "successes" = faster depletion. So much for the sustainability story
I'm 100% concerned for environment but aren't those resources eventually gonna get dug up? if AI can map the right place to prevent unnecessary digging. I'd still call that a win.
Human already so dependent on these resources anyway. The only truly viable way of saving environment is asteroid mining.