Santiago, Chile, September 24, 2026 – Artificial intelligence is transforming daily tasks, process management, and decision-making in organizations. In complex industries like mining, these tools open opportunities to expand people's capabilities, streamline access to knowledge, and improve productivity.

In this context, Codelco has made 5,500 Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses available to employees across its various divisions and corporate areas. This initiative is part of the ongoing collaboration between the Chilean state-owned mining company and Microsoft, and stems from the Memorandum of Understanding signed by both organizations to accelerate the adoption of these technologies within the industry.

Culture for adopting AI

The integration of artificial intelligence requires training for employees, leadership involvement, and a climate of trust. According to the Microsoft Work Trend Index 2026, 67% of the reported impact of AI is explained by organizational factors such as leadership, supervision, incentives, and culture.

“Culture was the critical variable. The technology was ready before we were. That's why we started with the executive team: the CEO and the vice presidents were trained first. You can't ask for a change that you yourself are not willing to experience,” says Codelco's Vice President of Finance, Alejandro Sanhueza.

Interest in the initiative was reflected in the call to join the "Digital Promoters" network: 900 people registered in three days to access 600 places to adopt this technology, the largest response recorded by the company in an internal training campaign.

The network prepares workers to deepen their knowledge, share best practices, and support their teams in adopting Copilot. The goal is to move from personal productivity to a systematic adoption of AI across teams and work areas.

From security to business

Before expanding the deployment, Codelco defined an internal framework for the ethical and responsible use of AI, validated by the Information Security Committee. Furthermore, it established that internally developed agents must undergo a cybersecurity review and comply with controls based on international standards.

“We chose Microsoft 365 Copilot because it only accesses information for which each person already has permission, under the principle of least privilege. This condition, along with a long-standing technological partnership and a Microsoft environment that provides Copilot with the business context, allowed us to move forward with the deployment,” says Soledad Bastías, Corporate Manager of Cybersecurity and Business Applications at Codelco.

The teams started by using Microsoft Copilot to quickly access corporate information, support bids, and create reports, presentations, and communications. Today, they also develop agents that support operational tasks and free up time for tactical and strategic work.

In parallel, Codelco is incorporating agents using Microsoft technology to automate and optimize critical processes. These are already being implemented in Procurement, Legal, and Sustainability, supporting the management of environmental permits, payment statuses, tenders, and other operational workflows. This allows for increased efficiency, reduced processing times, and frees up capacity for tasks of greater strategic value.

A route for mining

According to the Microsoft Work Trend Index 2026, 66% of those who use AI say they can dedicate more time to high-value tasks, and 58% say they can now perform jobs they were not able to do a year ago.

For Microsoft, Codelco's experience shows the importance of integrating these technologies into a strategy that considers business, people, data, security, and culture.

“We are experiencing a redesign of work. Codelco is an example of how to approach this process: with a focus on business and people, clear safety and governance rules, and a management team involved from the beginning,” says Paula Suárez, Director of Technical Solutions for Microsoft Latin America.

The experience outlines a path for the industry: engaging leadership, developing internal capabilities, establishing security and governance conditions, and selecting processes with potential for improvement to guide the next stages of adoption.

Codelco