Pentagon plans AI-based program to estimate prices for critical minerals

The U.S. Department of Defense plans to develop a program to estimate prices and predict supplies of nickel, cobalt and other critical minerals, a move aimed at boosting market transparency but one that throws a new, uncertain variable into global metals markets. The program, which received little attention after it was announced on a Pentagon website in October, is part of Washington's broader efforts to jumpstart U.S. production of critical minerals used in weapons manufacturing and the energy transition. U.S. output lags market leader China partly because attempts to build new American mines can be heavily influenced by commodity price swings.