For as long as humans have sought what lies beneath the earth, the challenge has been the same: too many signals, too few ways to read them together. A new research review examines how artificial intelligence and machine learning are beginning to weave mineral chemistry, geophysical surveys, satellite imagery, geological maps, and unstructured text into a unified interpretive lens — one that may see patterns no single expert could assemble alone. The work arrives at a moment of urgent need, as demand for the critical minerals powering clean energy and modern technology outpaces the speed of tr