Autonomous Vehicles In Mining Operations: Key Legal Considerations

The use of autonomous and data-driven systems is anticipated to be one of the most effective ways to increase the energy efficiency of mining operations. However, currently, only three per cent of mobile equipment in the mining sector is autonomous. As reliability of autonomous technologies increases, the scalability of the technologies is expected to decrease costs, making it more accessible in the mining sector.¹ That being said, increasing automation and connectivity brings a new set of legal challenges and considerations and the adoption of autonomous technologies in the mining sector is no exception. In this new paradigm, mining sector participants must be cognizant and evaluate novel risks and legal issues to provide parties with the certainty they need to adopt autonomous and data-driven systems (hereinafter, "Autonomous Mining Technologies").