The largest copper mine in a century! The significance behind AI-driven mineral exploration marketing

The largest copper mine in a century! The significance behind AI-driven mineral exploration marketing Silicon Valley unicorn KoBold Metals has announced the discovery of a giant copper deposit in Zambia using AI technology—potentially the largest copper mine discovered in Zambia in nearly a century. KoBold Metals’ background Founded in 2018, KoBold Metals champions the integration of human intelligence (HI) and artificial intelligence (AI) to locate materials critical for the future. Its core technology originates from Stanford University’s 'Mineral-X' project, which is also sponsored by mining giant Rio Tinto. Today, KoBold operates over 60 projects globally, with active presence across North America, Australia, and Africa. Though less than six years old, the company has secured hundreds of millions of dollars in investment from global titans including Bill Gates, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Alibaba’s Jack Ma, and SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son. Years ago, KoBold already entered the mainstream Western media spotlight—but amid surging global lithium prices, media attention focused primarily on its plans to explore for lithium, cobalt, copper, and nickel in Greenland and elsewhere—minerals tightly linked to the new-energy vehicle industry—rather than on its advanced exploration technologies. It was only recently, after announcing the discovery of a world-class copper deposit, that public attention finally turned toward its AI-powered exploration capabilities. The Mingomba Copper Deposit in Zambia The deposit generating headlines is named “Mingomba,” located approximately 500 km north of Lusaka—the capital of Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer—and situated at the southeastern end of the Central African Copperbelt. On social media, KoBold CEO Josh Goldman compared Mingomba’s quality to the Kamoa-Kakula copper mine—another major asset located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), jointly held by China’s Zijin Mining and Canada’s Ivanhoe Mines. Kamoa-Kakula produced roughly 400,000 tonnes of copper last year and ranks as the world’s fourth-largest copper mine. Mingomba is estimated to contain 247 million tonnes of copper ore, with an average copper grade (i.e., copper content in the ore) of 3.64%—approximately six times higher than Chile’s national average copper grade, the world’s top copper producer. If successfully developed, Mingomba could rank among the world’s top three highest-grade copper mines. Notably, however, KoBold has yet to disclose technical details regarding how AI was applied in this exploration. Should AI-driven exploration truly deliver on its promise, it would revolutionize traditional, haphazard exploration methods—replacing blind groping and needle-in-a-haystack searches—with significantly improved accuracy, efficiency, and reduced environmental impact. AI-driven exploration is not strictly accurate More precisely, KoBold’s recent “discovery” may be better described as a feasibility study conducted within a previously confirmed copper-bearing area. From a technical standpoint, media reports uncritically echoing KoBold’s one-sided claims—that Mingomba was “found using AI”—are in fact misleading. KoBold’s exploration of Mingomba was not a ‘zero-to-one’ process. As early as late 2022, media reports indicated that KoBold acquired majority ownership of the Mingomba project for $115 million—and at that time, the company already possessed substantial knowledge about the deposit’s resource volume and copper grade.

Jinchengxin’s announcement: the Dikulushi copper mine beneficiation project in the DRC has been completed and put into operation—what are its prospects?

Africa hosts two world-class copper belts. The first is the globally renowned Central African Copperbelt, stretching across southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and northern Zambia. It is one of the world’s highest-grade and largest sedimentary copper belts. Major and super-large copper deposits—including Kolwezi in the DRC and Zambia’s Copperbelt Province—are densely concentrated along this belt. The Kamoa-Kakula copper mine is its crown jewel: discovered by Ivanhoe Mines and jointly developed by Zijin Mining and Canada’s First Quantum Minerals. With over 40 million tonnes of copper resources, it ranks among the world’s highest-grade and largest undeveloped copper projects. The second is an emerging copper region spanning southern Angola, southern Zambia, and Namibia. Over the past decade, copper resources in Huíla Province, Angola, have progressed from exploration and assessment to commercial development. Projects such as Cuia-Mavoio have propelled Angola onto Africa’s copper map as a new player. Against the backdrop of the global energy transition, copper—as the cornerstone metal of electrification—is undergoing continuous strategic re-evaluation. Electric vehicles, photovoltaics, wind power, energy storage systems, and grid upgrades—all are major copper consumers. The International Copper Association forecasts global copper demand will double over the next 15 years. Under this trend, Africa’s copper belts—home to the world’s richest yet underexploited copper resources—are rapidly becoming a strategic high ground fiercely contested by international mining capital. Yet a long industrial chain separates “resource reserves” from “actual production”: mine infrastructure, mining services, ore beneficiation, smelting and refining, logistics, and transportation. Each link in this chain represents market opportunity for Chinese mining construction and mining service enterprises. A rare historical window of opportunity for African copper development Large-scale development of Africa’s copper belts is now entering a rare historical window of opportunity. Improved policy environment. In 2018, the DRC introduced a new mining code that substantially raised mining-related taxes and royalties—but simultaneously standardized mining license approval procedures and enhanced policy transparency. Following its new administration, Zambia has actively improved its mining investment climate, lowering certain mining taxes and streamlining approval processes, sending clear signals encouraging foreign investment. Similarly, Angola’s 2022 Mining Code has created more favorable conditions for foreign investment in the mining sector. Synchronized improvements across all three countries have collectively lowered institutional risks for international mining capital. Accelerating capital inflows. Zijin Mining’s sustained investment in Kamoa-Kakula, First Quantum’s asset restructuring and divestment in Zambia, and CMOC’s expansion of its Tenke Fungurume (TFM) and Kisanfu (KFM) copper-cobalt mines in the DRC—all reflect international mining capital’s long-term confidence in Africa’s copper belts. Industry statistics show that capital expenditure across Africa’s copper belts reached an all-time high between 2024 and 2026, with numerous new and expansion projects entering substantive construction phases. Infrastructure improvements. For decades, African mining development has been constrained by weak infrastructure—insufficient power supply, poor transport and logistics, and shortages of skilled technical personnel. In recent years, under the Belt and Road Initiative framework, China’s investments in African railways, highways, ports, and power infrastructure have significantly improved the physical conditions necessary for mining development.

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KoBold Metals president Josh Goldman asserts Western miners can match China's pace in African critical minerals if regulatory hurdles are reduced. The firm is accelerating lithium and copper exploration in Namibia and Congo to secure vital supplies for EVs and defense tech.

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Western miners can match China’s speed if African governments cut red tape, KoBold president says

Western miners can match China’s speed if African governments cut red tape, KoBold president says

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