The Rise of AI in Energy & Mining

The Energy & Mining sector stands on the brink of a digital revolution. As Agentic AI takes centre stage in Australian enterprises, the vision of a dynamic, self-optimising business is more attainable than ever. However, the reality is far more sobering. Though the promise of AI is immense, the journey from pilot to production is fraught with challenges. 

Consider your own organisation. If your board demanded Agentic or Generative AI in production today, would your data and operating models withstand the test or crack under pressure? 

Bridging the Gap: From Potential to Operational Reality 

The reality is that 77% of Australian enterprises are not ready to deploy advanced AI use cases at scale and that executive confidence in data strategy has dropped from 54% in 2024 to just 46% in 2025. (ADAPT 2025). This can be attributed to persistent gaps across data governance, quality, and master data management. 

Versent’s experience in the sector underscores the importance of robust, integrated data foundations. “AI is only as good as the data that fuels it,” acknowledged Tim Hope, Versent CTO.  “Without trusted, well-governed data, even the most sophisticated AI models will fail to deliver real organisational outcomes.” 

Governance, Security, and Responsible AI 

As AI systems become more autonomous, the need for strong governance and security guardrails intensifies. The sector must navigate evolving regulations both local and global while ensuring that innovation is not stifled.  

It’s important to take a balanced approach; embedding responsible AI principles into design and operations and clarifying ownership across IT, risk and business functions.  

Empowering People for the AI Era 

Technology alone is not enough. Empowering teams from executives to frontline workers is critical to closing the AI capability gap. This means investing in skills, fostering a culture of experimentation and redefining the human role as decision-maker, collaborator and overseer in an AI-driven enterprise. 

What’s Next? 

The path forward requires moving beyond promising pilots to scalable, advanced AI use cases. This demands: 

• Setting and maintaining high data hygiene standards 

• Building governance and security frameworks for autonomous intelligence 

• Balancing innovation with risk to drive sustainable value. 

Versent remains committed to helping the Energy & Mining sector realise the full potential of AI; transforming not just technology, but the very fabric of how work gets done. 

If your organisation is experiencing similar challenges when it comes to deploying and scaling AI, Versent can help – please contact us for a chat.