AI is Only as Smart as Your Data
- Lan Tran
- Oct 6
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 8
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer experimental or “coming soon.” It’s here. But while most industries are gearing up, many in mining are still standing on the platform, watching the AI train leave the station.
Kicking off the morning at the recent Women in Mining WA (WIMWA) Summit, EXTAG’s Chief Relationship Officer, Lan Tran, challenged the assumption that AI can simply be bought when the time is right. Her message was clear: the power of AI won’t come from the tech itself – it will come from what organisations do today to make that tech work.
The uncomfortable truth? You can’t buy your way into AI.
The Illusion of Readiness
Mining isn’t new to disruptive technology. Autonomous haul trucks, remote operation centres, and real-time dashboards have reshaped safety and productivity.
But AI is different.
AI doesn’t just automate or analyse – it learns, predicts, and evolves. And that evolution depends entirely on the quality of the data that feeds it. As Lan put it:
“Garbage in, garbage out. Bad data will be amplified. The system will be as smart, or as dumb, as what we give it.”
Many operations still rely on manual data entry, spreadsheets, and repeated inputs across disconnected systems. Data is often entered twice or even three times across forms, registers, and reports – each step increasing the risk of error.
And most still depend on the legendary “data whisperers” – lone individuals who can make sense of the chaos inside legacy platforms. When those people leave, what’s left is often incomplete, inaccessible, or unusable.
And the cycle begins again.
From Software Integration to AI Context Protocol
Lan introduced a shift in thinking: Model Context Protocol (MCP).
Traditionally, integration meant connecting systems together. In the AI age, integration means making data readable, usable, and contextual – not for humans, but for machines.
That shift requires systems that are human-friendly at the front end and AI-compatible at the back. It means capturing metadata, structure, and context at the point of entry, especially in the field.
Without those foundations, even the most advanced AI fails.
What This Means for Asset-Heavy Industries
For mining, oil & gas, defence, and infrastructure, the implications are clear. These sectors rely on high-value assets in high-risk environments. The cost of poor decisions is high. The cost of delay is higher.
Lan’s message was direct: don’t just invest in AI, invest in readiness, today.
What comes before AI is just as important as AI itself.
Build workforce capability: empower people to work with tech, not around it
Redesign for real-time, visual data: structured, usable, and AI-ready
Link strategy to execution: make digital strategy deliver real business outcomes
The Shift is Already Underway
EXTAG is already paving the way.
EXTAG captures real-time data at the frontline, turning inspections, compliance, and maintenance into structured, usable inputs. Purpose-built for mobile, temporary, and hard-to-track assets, our platform transforms disconnected records into clean, contextualised data, ready for visualisation, reporting, and automation.
The outcome: faster, smarter decisions across the asset lifecycle.
Our clients aren’t waiting to be disrupted. They’re laying the groundwork now to lead when disruption lands.
The question is no longer if AI will reshape our industry. The real question is: Will you be ready when it does?
The Challenge: What Will Your Headline Be?
Lan closed with a provocation:
“Imagine three years from now, you’re on the front page. What is your headline?”
That’s the difference between being future-aware and future-ready.
About EXTAG
EXTAG is a powerful software platform designed for asset-intensive organisations to ensure all assets – no matter how minor – are compliant, safe, and ready for use.
Proven in Oil & Gas since 2018, EXTAG’s proprietary platform complements existing systems to deliver cost-effective, ERP-level control of excluded assets – making Asset Managers’ jobs simpler and their results visible.
Media Contact
Lan Tran
Chief Relationship Officer
0412 026 208