Earth AI is building its own labs to cut critical mineral sample processing time from five months to five days, a move that could streamline drilling decisions for operators. The startup has been using AI to spot copper, platinum and palladium deposits in parts of Australia that were previously overlooked, but the confirmation of those finds has been slowed by laboratory backlogs. Lab backlogs have averaged around two months, but recent interest has more than doubled the delay, leaving Earth AI 7 km, or 7,000 meters, of samples without data. The company aims to reduce the turnaround from five months to five days. Roman Teslyuk, founder and CEO of Earth AI, said, "I hate delays," and explained that, "We're 7 km behind — 7,000 meters of samples we don't have data about." He added that, "We don't know whether we hit gold or not. We can't see it with our eyes," highlighting the need for rapid lab results to guide drilling. By bringing lab work in-house, Earth AI expects to cut costs and accelerate decision-making, allowing drilling teams to focus on the most promising targets and reduce unnecessary exploration.