Feds back AI core scan in NWT for green metals

The Canadian federal and Northwest Territories governments are backing a new AI-powered drill core scanning pilot aimed at opening up critical mineral exploration across the country’s underexplored North.

The project plans to use artificial intelligence to scan, digitize and analyze existing drill core stored at the Northwest Territories Geological Survey, the federal government said on Monday. The goal is to extract new geological insights from old material, offering explorers a cost-effective, low-impact way to reassess mineral potential—particularly in the resource-rich but remote Slave Geological Province.

The initiative, which didn’t have a price tag in the government release, is part of a broader federal plan to build a Canadian Digital Core Library. It would be an open-access platform of scanned and analyzed core samples that can guide exploration and investment. The Slave Province, home to deposits of lithium, copper, cobalt and rare earths, is seen as an area of strategic interest for both economic development and supply chain security.

“This groundbreaking collaboration…[is] harnessing advanced technology to revolutionize how we understand and manage our mineral resources,” Energy and Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said in the release. “We are laying the foundation for a smarter, more-sustainable resource future that catalyzes investment into Canadian mining.”

Three stages

The pilot is to roll out in three stages: first, scanning and analyzing the territory’s existing core inventory; second, integrating that data into the national digital platform; and third, assessing outcomes to determine expansion into other regions. Federal officials say the use of AI could reduce the need for new drilling, cut permitting delays and accelerate discoveries—while also minimizing disturbance to the land.

The project also aligns with recent northern infrastructure efforts, including the proposed Mackenzie Valley Highway and Arctic security corridor, both designed to improve access to remote mineral prospects.

If successful, the program could be expanded to other jurisdictions across Canada, helping to shorten discovery timelines and lower exploration costs at a time when global demand for critical minerals is driving new investment and geopolitical interest in Canada’s North.