Peggy Smedley Show

Peggy unpacks how agentic AI (artificial intelligence) is set to revolutionize the energy sector. With the energy market under pressure from infrastructure strain, cybersecurity threats, and the push for sustainability, she explains how AI agents can drive smarter, more autonomous, and more resilient systems across the grid. She also discusses: How many energy companies are using gen AI—and why th...

Peggy Smedley and Adan Banda, senior geospatial data manager, and Brandon Mann, geospatial analyst, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, talk about GIS (geographic information systems) and how the technology is applied to complex infrastructures. Adan says DFW airport is a very large airport—larger than the island of Manhattan—which requires a single source of truth. Brandon says people are fl...

Peggy Smedley and Donna Laquidara-Carr, industry insights research director, Dodge Construction Network, talk about the soft skills needed to attract more workers to the construction industry. She says they did a survey about the cost of poor collaboration. They also discuss: How many interactions contractors have daily with people from other companies—and how many involve some sort of conflict. H...

Peggy unpacks how agentic AI (artificial intelligence) is poised to transform the manufacturing industry—and why 97% of industrial manufacturing CEOs say digital and tech transformation is now a top priority. With the sector facing a perfect storm of labor shortages, rising costs, and geopolitical pressures, she explains how AI agents can unlock smarter, more adaptive operations on the factory flo...

Peggy and Jonathan Eig, author, talk about his book King, A Life, and what he learned about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., while writing the book. He says King was a person who had a lot of troubles and failures, and was prone to depression, and yet he continued to believe in God and America and believed it was worth all the sacrifice. They also discuss: The recently released pages of FBI files and...

Peggy and Donna Laquidara-Carr, industry insights research director, Dodge Construction Network, talk about a new study and some of the biggest obstacles that are preventing more workers from joining the construction industry. She says there were two pieces to the study: surveying contractors and the general population. They also discuss: The top way construction professionals are drawn into the i...

Peggy digs into agentic AI (artificial intelligence) and its transformative potential for the construction industry. She explores how this next evolution of AI—capable of autonomous reasoning and decision-making—can address some of the industry's most pressing challenges from labor shortages to supply-chain complexity. She also discusses: The staggering growth forecast of the agentic AI market. Wh...

Peggy Smedley and Yury Gomez, global commercial head for supply chain manufacturing and mobility industries, Microsoft, talk about the acceleration of AI (artificial intelligence) and agentic AI. She says supply chains are getting drastically overwhelmed once again, with geopolitical conflicts, but the good news is Microsoft is changing how the supply chain is done with technology because technolo...

Peggy Smedley and Maria Pacheco, assistant professor of computer science, University of Colorado Boulder, discuss the results of a study surrounding AI (artificial intelligence) solving sudoku puzzles. She says the more complex the problems, the more difficult the time the tools had at solving them. They also discuss: Why even the best tools had a hard time reasoning why they came to an answer. Th...

Peggy unpacks the who, what, when, where, why, and how of ambient invisible intelligence—and what it means for the way we live and work. She explores how this technology will quietly transform our homes, cities, hospitals, and factories, enabling more natural and intuitive human experience.  She also discusses: The timeline for widespread adoption and how some vertical markets are already embracin...

Peggy Smedley and Dan Gaylin, president and CEO, NORC, author, Fact Forward, talk about what brought him to the idea for his new book. He says he has a desire to help make sure our most important decisions are informed by good data and not led astray by faulty data. They also discuss: Why the data ecosystem has become so messy. The four main data errors that anyone can commit and the ways to guard...

Peggy Smedley and Dan Miklovic, founder, Lean Manufacturing Research and leader, Third Eye Advisory, talk about how we can prepare workers for the factory of the future. He says manufacturers need to be the best in the industry and the best in the world to be competitive, explaining how automation and machinery have and will change the manufacturing industry. They also discuss: What the team of th...

Peggy Smedley unpacks the who, what, when, where, why, and how of AI agentic swarms—and what they mean for the future. She discusses the role of intelligent AI agentic swarms in everything from logistics to defense. She also discusses: The estimated value of the global swarm robotics market through 2033. Why agentic swarm collaboration marks a new chapter for AI. Her candid thoughts on the opportu...

Peggy Smedley and Akshitha Sriraman, assistant professor, Carnegie Melon University, discuss new research and why it is important to design scalable and efficient data center systems. She says her research focuses on large-scale data center systems and how to make the servers more sustainable and circular. They also discuss: Open-source tooling infrastructure and open-source datasets and benchmark...

Peggy Smedley and Dan Horner, managing director of Dar/Sidara UK, talk about why productivity and innovation in the construction industry is not the same as other industries. He says some people say innovation in the construction industry ended with the hammer, although he doesn't believe that is true.  They also discuss: Research from the Economist that shows construction ranked 21 out of 22 rela...

Peggy unpacks the who, what, when, where, why, and how of quantum real estate—and what it means for the future of facilities. She says while quantum companies generated less than $750 million in revenue in 2024, forecasts suggest quantum computing could become a $100 billion industry by 2035. She also discusses: How hybrid facilities will function. Why quantum matters now. Her candid thoughts on w...

Peggy Smedley and Al Ortega, James R. Birle endowed chair professor of energy technology, Villanova University and director of the National Science Foundation Center for Energy Smart Electronic Systems, talk about data centers, cooling systems, and sustainability issues within the data centers. He talks about the amount of power data centers use, saying in 2025 an equipment rack consumes about 100...

Peggy Smedley and Brian Kassalen, principal and construction industry leader, Baker Tilly, talk about AI (artificial intelligence) in construction. He says construction contractors have been slow to adopt technologies, but you can't have a conversation today with a contractor without having some conversation about AI. They also discuss: Historical labor challenges in construction and how AI can he...

Peggy explores the explosive growth of agentic AI (artificial intelligence) in smart cities—and what it means for urban life. With the global market expected to surge from $1.88 billion in 2024 to $58 billion by 2030, she unpacks how AI is reshaping the way cities operate, grow, and serve their communities. From improved waste management to accelerated housing permits, Peggy breaks down the real-w...

Peggy Smedley and Al Ortega, James R. Birle endowed chair professor of energy technology, Villanova University and director of the National Science Foundation Center for Energy Smart Electronic Systems, talk about what's driving growth in data centers. He says to think about the data centers as being the infrastructure heart. They also discuss: Why the name changed from server farms to data center...

Peggy Smedley and Luke Faulkner, director of technology integration, American Institute of Steel Construction, talk about AI (artificial intelligence) and how it is impacting the steel industry. He says the steel industry has been a slow adopter of technology, but that has accelerated by force of nature, and it has been determined AI is one of the top opportunities facing this industry. They also...

Peggy talks about the rise of "AI ghosts"—digital personas built from a deceased individual's data—and what they mean for identity, grief, and ethics in the age of generative AI. With real-world experiments already underway, she dives into how AI agents powered by large language models can create AI ghosts, raising urgent questions about memory, consent, and the future of emotional technology. She...

Peggy Smedley and Steve Clarke, president, Teresa Hayes, human resources manager, and Nathanael Forgy, operating technician apprentice, Logan Aluminum, talk about the labor shortage in manufacturing and how we got here. They each discuss the importance of manufacturing and opportunities for workers. They also discuss: How to inspire the future generations and bring talent in the door. The impact o...

Peggy Smedley and Dennis Draeger, foresight director, Shaping Tomorrow, talk about how AI (artificial intelligence) is transforming white-collar work—and why even AI hallucinations can be valuable. He says we are used to automation impacting blue-collar work, well now with generative AI and business intelligence, it is really beginning to invade white-collar work. They also discuss: The importance...

Peggy dives into the multitrillion-dollar future of humanoid robots and how they could transform both industry and society. With projections showing nearly 1 billion humanoids in use by 2050—primarily in commercial and industrial settings—she breaks down what this means for the workforce, business, and our lives. She also discusses: The historical evolution of robotics and the birth of humanoids....