AI solutions through collaboration with the resource industry

 

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Professor of Digital Innovation Eun-Jung Holden has spent most of her academic career collaborating with the resource industry. She has developed and deployed AI tools to support their understanding of geology.

As a new member of the University of Melbourne, Professor Holden continues building trustworthy AI solutions for industry adoption. She is part of the Sustainable Resources industry research platform, which is devoted to harnessing mineral resources for a sustainable future.

Professor Eun-Jung Holden is a middle-aged Asian woman with medium-length black hair, wearing sparkly round glasses and a navy blue jacket. Behind her is an iconic University of Melbourne sandstone archway

I’m passionate about developing AI systems that support industry and giving our students industry-ready training. A big part of my role is helping establish the Digital Innovation Program at the School of Computing and Information Systems at the University of Melbourne.

Machine learning and AI are transforming the resource industry. Australia led the early adoption of AI in mining for their remote operations. However, their adoption for the knowledge-driven, geology-relevant parts of the operations has been a lot slower. My research heavily focuses on incorporating domain knowledge and human oversight (human-in-the-loop process) to AI, aiming to provide trustworthy and actionable AI solutions.

I have developed AI solutions that had significant impact in the resource industry globally. I’ve had a unique pathway as an academic. By working closely with industry over the past 17 years, I’ve learnt about high-value problems for industry. I’ve developed algorithms and deployed some as commercial or proprietary products. My current projects include building a trustworthy AI system for mineral explorers together with the Geological Survey of Western Australia and South Australia, and the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia.

A key AI research area relevant for industry is how to bring together multimodal and multi-sensor data together to assist human decisions. In my experience, decision support tools need to bring together all available data – by analysing, integrating and recognising information or knowledge from different qualitative and quantitative observations – when building high-impact applications. I use geophysics, geochemistry, spectral and geological data in my research.  These datasets are widely used for applications in broad industries such as agriculture and environment.

Industry feedback is so useful as a researcher. When you disseminate your research and get feedback from end-users, you get a clear understanding of what improvements need to be made. Thus, you can build a future roadmap for your research direction. That feedback loop is so critical for innovation. Professor Eun-Jung Holden
Melbourne Connect's geometric panels jut out from the facade which rises towards a blue sky. In the foreground are the University of Melbourne and Melbourne Connect's logos on a plain brick wall
Melbourne Connect is the University of Melbourne's purpose-built innovation precinct, fostering collaborations between businesses, researchers, government and entrepreneurs.

I’m a member of the Sustainable Resources industry platform. There’s a lot of research underway at the University of Melbourne on critical resources that contribute to a sustainable future for our society. This platform is important to achieve collective impact through collaborations.

I started my tertiary education in Western Australia as an international student from South Korea, in the 1980s. There were such few international students then in WA, perhaps in Australia. So I was very noticeable. Very fortunately, I was offered research and teaching positions after my studies at the University of Western Australia (UWA) that enabled me to grow as an academic. During my time at UWA, I established the Centre for Data-Driven Geoscience, and also was the Inaugural Director of the UWA Data Institute, which taught me a lot about academia-industry collaboration and their mutual benefits. I have applied my learnings and insights on industry needs to my mentoring and training of industry-ready students.

When the opportunity presented itself to join the University of Melbourne, I thought ‘this is the next part of my personal journey’. I had studied and worked at UWA over the past 38 years. Joining Australia’s leading university has given me an opportunity to broaden my experience as an academic. I am keen on learning about different types of industries and opportunities for academia-industry collaboration in Melbourne, and how such collaborations can support the training of a future workforce.

When I arrived at the University of Melbourne, I was impressed with the university’s support for entrepreneurship. Researchers and students are ready and keen to engage with industry. We have a strong entrepreneurial alumni network. I have been involved in national and international committees advising how to achieve industry impact through AI innovation. I am so glad to be a part of this community as we share the same values.

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First published on 28 January 2025.

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