New Theory: Social License to Automate in Mining

In May 2025, researchers from the University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute published a working paper introducing the concept of the Social License to Automate (SLA) in mining. As mining companies increasingly deploy autonomous vehicles, AI-driven drilling systems, and remote monitoring, the authors argue that traditional Social License to Operate (SLO) frameworks are insufficient to address community concerns over automation. Unlike conventional extraction impacts—like pollution or land use—automation affects labor dynamics, local employment expectations, and perceived control over operations. This emerging theory suggests that for mining firms to truly earn long-term social legitimacy, they must now secure public acceptance not only of what they mine, but how they mine.