Behind NRED Mining: How an AI Rare-Earths Pivot Drew Political Scrutiny
Former White House press secretary Katie Zacharia's disputed ties to NRED Intelligent Mining shed light on a Canadian junior explorer pivoting to AI and robotics.
Katie Zacharia’s five-day tenure as White House press secretary ended amid mounting questions surrounding her professional background, ranging from claims of practicing law without passing the California bar to past work as an affiliate marketer for the fitness MLM Beachbody. Among the most unusual episodes in her career history is her disputed association with NRED Intelligent Mining, a Vancouver-based venture that claims to blend robotics, artificial intelligence, and mineral exploration. The company publicly announced in June that Zacharia had joined its advisory board to guide emerging AI initiatives, an appointment she now calls fake.
According to an archived June 24 release from NRED—then named NovaRed Mining—Zacharia was appointed alongside former Department of Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem to provide strategic counsel as the company expanded exploration work and new AI ventures. Zacharia had previously worked under Noem as DHS deputy assistant press secretary for public affairs. However, Zacharia told reporters that the announcement was fabricated. Strategic communications professional Sam Amsterdam stated the release was issued without Zacharia's approval, adding that while preliminary discussions occurred, she never actually joined. Valentin Saitarli, the firm’s former chief technology officer who is onboarding as CEO, corroborated that a formal role never materialized, comparing the talks to signing up for a gym but never attending.
A Sudden Pivot Toward AI and Robotics
NRED's shift toward advanced technology represents a sharp departure from its roots. Originally a junior copper and gold exploration firm, Canadian outlet The Globe and Mail previously reported that NovaRed generated no revenue and held only $65,689 in cash in January—an amount the firm acknowledged was insufficient to fund operations over a 12-month period.
Earlier this month, the company announced it was shelving its primary Wilmac Copper-Gold Project to focus entirely on commercializing "MetalCore," which it describes as an AI-assisted mineral exploration platform. Saitarli has stated that the company plans to go "full robots and AI," framing the initiative in sweeping terms that range from terrestrial extraction to operating in space, building lunar hotels, and mining beyond Earth.
Unconventional Advisory Appointments
Rather than adding geologists or mining engineers to its roster to oversee this transition, NovaRed populated its advisory board with political, defense, and entertainment figures. Beyond Noem and the disputed listing for Zacharia, the company appointed Phil Ehr, a retired US Navy commander running for Congress in Florida; Gregory Fedun, a former advisor to the UAE’s Al Mualla Royal Family; and Lee Caplin, a coproducer of the television series True Detective.
Ehr, who stated he lacked background in commodities but recognized national supply needs for copper, noted that he was blindsided when Noem and Zacharia were announced as advisors. Disagreeing with Noem's political record and questioning why an exploration business was recruiting political figures instead of technical consultants, Ehr resigned shortly after her appointment.
What it means for developers
NRED’s rebranding illustrates a growing trend across non-technical and distressed industries: reframing legacy or speculative businesses around artificial intelligence and robotics to attract attention. For software engineers and technical teams, this dynamic underscores the importance of scrutinizing vendor claims behind enterprise software, particularly when platforms like "MetalCore" claim to offer AI capabilities without transparent architectures, published datasets, or domain-specialized development teams.
When evaluating AI solutions in specialized verticals like geospatial analysis or natural resource modeling, developers should prioritize verifiable benchmarks, data provenance, and clear deployment stacks over board appointments or corporate press statements. For teams building their own specialized systems who need direct access to proven foundation models, testing tools like Claude, GPT, and Gemini through a single pay-per-token API at https://apixoai.online offers a transparent, cost-effective way to evaluate real-world performance without navigating speculative marketing claims.
Source: Katie Zacharia Was Linked to an AI Rare-Earths Startup. It’s Even Weirder Than It Sounds — Wired AI. Written by the Apixo team from that report.
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