Peggy Smedley Show

Peggy wraps up the month, giving her final thoughts about agentic AI (artificial intelligence). She pulls back the curtain on what's really happening behind the scenes in today's digital transformation—and offers her candid perspective on what comes next. She also discusses: · The critical risks businesses must address in the days ahead. · The four steps to take today to prepare for a better tomor...

Peggy Smedley and Alex Adamopoulos, chairman and CEO, Emergn, talk about the Global Intelligent Delusion survey and what it has revelated about today's businesses. Roughly 75% of business leaders expect to drive revenue from AI (artificial intelligence) initiatives in the next 12 months, yet 60% acknowledge AI expectations are growing faster than their ability to meet them. He says leaders expect...

Peggy and Kate O'Neill, author, founder, and chief tech humanist, KO Insights, talk about the unlearning problem and why AI and humans share the same dangerous flaw. She says one of the issues we are facing is everything feels like it is moving so fast—and the acceleration is causing the chaos. They also discuss: · How we can better align human knowledge and machine intelligence. · How and why to...

Peggy digs into how agentic AI (artificial intelligence) is poised to revolutionize the supply chain, citing big predictions, use cases, and new opportunities. She warns against getting swept up in the excitement and instead encourages focusing on practical value and measurable ROI (return on investment). She also discusses: · The key drivers behind the rise of agentic AI in supply chains. · A cor...

Peggy Smedley and Amy Waninger, inclusive leadership expert and author of Moving from Panic to Purpose, talk about how different sectors respond to change, where they get stuck, and some tips for what it really takes to lead through unrelenting change. She shares an example of a big work change she went through. They also discuss: · The process and steps to address a big change. · How to make this...

Peggy Smedley and Michelle Pellegrin, IBM's VP and Global Managing Director for Microsoft, talk about smarter hybrid cloud operations and giving customers a unified approach to managing cloud infrastructure. She says bringing into IBM really strengthens the joint work IBM is already doing with Microsoft. They also discuss: · How they are giving customers a unified approach to managing cloud infras...

Peggy digs into how agentic AI (artificial intelligence) is poised to redefine transportation, sharing examples, growth projections, and new opportunities. She urges not to get caught up in the hype but rather focus on the way technology can provide real value and ROI (return on investment). She also discusses: · Some key use cases in the transportation industry. · A paradox that we must consider....

Peggy Smedley and Paula Caligiuri, cofounder and CEO, Skiilify, and DMSB distinguished professor of International Business, Northeastern University, talk about cultural agility and why it is important for business. She is an organizational psychologist, and she has done research on helping people get better at working across cultures. They also discuss: · Helping individuals develop durable soft s...

Dan Miklovic, founder, Lean Manufacturing Research and leader, Third Eye Advisory, talk about tariffs and how tariffs impact the ability to invest in automation, AI (artificial intelligence), and the workforce. He says tariffs have their place and it is a very fine balance to walk. They also discuss: · When tariffs are in fact effective. · The challenges that exist with tariffs. · Examples of tari...

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...