She was among the leading mining executives interviewed for the "Mining Journal Global Leadership Report: Preparing for transformation" which was published last week.

Gaines said autonomous haulage had been FMG's biggest programme by far, starting at its Solomon hub in 2012.

"The introduction of autonomous trucks at the Solomon hub has resulted in greater than 30% improvement in productivity and, importantly, has delivered safety improvements," she said.

Aside from technical issues, FMG had thought there would be a challenge around the engagement of staff and, potentially, communities.

"Our approach to this has been to ensure no one at Fortescue is displaced as a result of automation," Gaines said.

She said technology could help with other transformative issues such as diversity and engagement.

Gaines, who was previously the company's CFO, was appointed CEO in November 2017.

This is based on an interview with Fortescue Metals Group CEO Elizabeth Gaines as part of the ‘Mining Journal Global Leadership Report: Preparing for transformation', released last week. The report features around 20 in-depth interviews with the industry's leading mining executives and the results of our industry-wide survey focused on transformational influences (technology, stakeholder engagement etc) and the readiness of mining leaders to meet these challenges.