Canadian students advance to finals in AI mine safety competition

Three student teams from Saskatchewan and Alberta universities will compete for a $6,000 scholarship prize after advancing through the preliminary round of an artificial intelligence competition focused on mining safety solutions.

The International Minerals Innovation Institute announced the finalists for its AI4SafeMines student competition following a hybrid pitch event held March 31. The competition challenges students to develop AI application tools that identify hazards and create safety interventions for mining operations.

Diverse teams represent multiple institutions

Team Turtleshell from Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology earned one finalist spot. Team Statera, comprising students from Holy Cross High School in Saskatoon and the University of Saskatchewan, secured a second position. Team TS2 from the University of Saskatchewan claimed the third finalist berth.

Judges awarded an honourable mention to Team DL from Reading School in Leeds, UK.

The March event featured pitches from 10 student teams representing the University of Regina, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Reading School and Holy Cross High School. Women comprised 38 percent of participants, who represented multiple nationalities and studied diverse disciplines from high school through computer science, data science and various engineering fields.

Multi-disciplinary teams gained competitive advantages by bringing different perspectives to mine safety challenges, organizers noted.

"AI is an emerging technology and innovation and it's so great having these young students here to share their ideas and thoughts on how we can mitigate hazards in the workplace by using AI," said event judge Kevin Mooney, Vice-President of the Saskatchewan Workers Compensation Board and President of ISSA Mining. "We're seeing some really good discussions and really good ideas coming out of this competition. And we so look forward to seeing what the finalists come up with to present at the ISSA conference in September."

Students tackle four safety focus areas

Competition organizers provided four mine safety themes to guide student innovations: environmental hazard awareness, human health and well-being, equipment safety, and training and performance. Student teams addressed all four categories in their preliminary presentations.

Judges praised students for demonstrating deep understanding of mining safety challenges while presenting innovation concepts with promising AI application potential.

Each finalist team will receive up to $4,000 to develop their artificial intelligence solutions between May and September while refining their presentations. The teams will deliver final pitches to a live audience at the ISSA Mine Safety Conference on September 24 in Saskatoon.

Partnership brings together industry and academia

IMII hosts the competition in collaboration with the ISSA Mine Safety Conference. ISSA Mining operates as the International Section on Prevention in the Mining Industry under the International Social Security Association umbrella.

The competition launched in January 2026 with students submitting expressions of interest outlining their AI innovation concepts. A panel including IMII members and representatives from the AI and mine safety innovation ecosystem reviewed the submissions before advancing teams to the preliminary pitch round.

"AI4SafeMines brings together the emerging talent and AI technology with real-world industrial mine safe challenges. It is an opportunity for students to learn about the mining sector, safety culture and build capabilities with artificial intelligence tools, while benefitting industry with fresh perspectives and new energy the students bring to these challenges," said Lesley McGilp, Executive Director. "AI4SafeMines is also about multi-disciplinary approaches and partnerships, and IMII is grateful for the partners that have come together to make the competition possible."

Organizers and finalists anticipate the final competition phase at the ISSA Mine Safety Conference in Saskatoon from September 22-24, 2026.

More information on this competition is posted at www.Imii.ca