Peggy Smedley Show

Peggy Smedley and David Esposito, industry advisor for logistics, transportation, and supply chain, Microsoft Manufacturing and Mobility, talk about how we can leverage AI (artificial intelligence) agents to help in the supply chain. He says since the pandemic it has been nothing but disruption in this industry. There is overcapacity, oversupply, and tariff uncertainties, just to name a few.

They also discuss:

· How companies are r...

Peggy Smedley and Sam Barker, VP of global telecom market research, Juniper Research, talk about what is driving the surge in global smart building platforms. He says this is driven by many factors including the energy crisis and the ability to monitor and have greater visibility of the energy we are using.

They also discuss:

· If interoperability is still a barrier and if anything is changing here.

· Connectivity and how the marke...

Peggy kicks off a new show, Aiglatson, where the future isn't just imagined, it is felt. She is joined by cohost Dennis Draeger, foresight director, Shaping Tomorrow, who says aiglatson is more than a word, it is a mindset, and it is about preferring the dreams of the future to the experiences of the past.

They also discuss:

· The definition and meaning of the word aiglatson—and who and why the term was coined.

· Comparing and cont...

If embedded super intelligence at the core of factory operations enabling custom software to be built in 24 hours instead of 18 months bridged the chasm that exists between management, vision, and operational reality, would you do it? Peggy talks with Dan Miklovic, founder, Lean Manufacturing Research and leader, Third Eye Advisory, and Radu Spineanu, founder, Humble Operations, about how American manufacturing is drowning in a cos...

Peggy looks at the global trends impacting the transportation and logistics sector, sharing how technologies are evolving to meet growing demands. She says digital transformation, decarbonization, and other emerging technologies are going to need to fuel the new demands required.

She also discusses:

· How much will be required to fuel this infrastructure vertical through 2040.

· The top factors at play that must be considered in tr...

Peggy Smedley and Kory Daniels, chief security and trust officer, LevelBlue, talk about cyber resilience in manufacturing and findings from a new report. He says resilience is very simply a bend, but do not break mentality for the organization.

They also discuss:

· The biggest wakeup call from a recent report.

· What threat actors are embracing.

· If this needs to start top, down—and how to best ensure resilience.

https://levelblue...

Peggy Smedley interviews Tim Lindner, warehouse automation consultant, about how Amazon thinks it can replace 160,000 jobs with robots. He shares Amazon's history of robotics, saying this shouldn't come as a surprise to people based on their history with robotics.

They also discuss:

· How it plans to automate 75% of its operations.

· Circularity in the days since the Industrial Revolution—and where robots will end up.

· Robotics as...

Peggy zooms in on one of the seven critical infrastructure verticals: energy and power, which is projected to require a staggering $23 trillion in investment through 2040. She unpacks the global trends shaping the sector—from the rise of renewables to digital transformation—and explores how we must rethink infrastructure to meet rising expectations.

She also discusses:

· Why energy demand is rising and how renewable energy and low-...

Peggy Smedley and Anil Sawhney, head of sustainability, RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors), and Kay Pitman, sustainability analyst, RICS, talk about the highlights from a new AI (artificial intelligence) and construction report 2025, current rates of adoption, blockers to adoption, and the outlook. He says the report was an outcome from conversations and a survey from members who are at the forefront of technology. Pit...

Peggy Smedley and Dan Miklovic, founder, Lean Manufacturing Research and leader, Third Eye Advisory, talk about the real cost behind not investing in reskilling and if a talent gap is on the horizon already. He says it depends on how you define it because there are going to be skills by 2030 that we don't even know we need yet.

They also discuss:

· Where the biggest risk lies.

· One of the prime reasons workers leave companies.

· W...

Peggy takes a hard look at the staggering $106 trillion question: how will we build the infrastructure of tomorrow? She breaks down a major new report that maps the future of global infrastructure investment through 2040 and shares a real-world case study in Indiana.

She also discusses:

· Seven verticals where investment will be needed.

· How infrastructure is shifting from centralized and government-led to tech-enabled, modular, a...

Peggy Smedley and Joe Scheidler, cofounder and CEO, Helios, pull back the curtain on the real issues that plague government, discussing why most AI (artificial intelligence) platforms fail in government environments. He says you can see so many pain points and inefficiencies and there aren't many solutions in policy for several reasons.

They also discuss:

· The pace of policy—and how technology can help.

· Acting locally—and thinki...

Peggy Smedley and Dane Linn, senior vice president of corporate initiatives, Business Roundtable, talk about making safety central to corporate culture. He says the mental health initiative is really focused on helping CEOs address some of the mental health needs of their employees and their families, saying mental health is essential for employee wellbeing and business performance.

They also discuss:

· Y How mental health and well...

As the year comes to a close, Peggy has a reality check: can we really trust today's tech predictions? She takes listeners on a journey through past forecasts and unpacks why many bold claims never quite lived up to the hype—and gives her thoughts on how to turn this into action and strategy.

She also discusses:

· Why historical hindsight is necessary.

· Why so many predictions miss the mark—and what it means for your business.

· C...

Peggy Smedley and Rahul Shahani, partner, McKinsey & Co., talk about AI (artificial intelligence) in manufacturing and the frontline worker. He says the core work of manufacturing doesn't change, but AI will bring new capabilities to manufacturing.

They also discuss:

· How agentic AI can help build an optimal production schedule, bringing higher quality products and empowering the workers with dynamic scheduling.

· How to train and...

Peggy Smedley and Ali Jani, chief product officer, Acumatica, talk about trends happening in construction and manufacturing—and how digital transformation, AI (artificial intelligence), and ERP (enterprise resource planning) will play a role. He says opportunities come usually when there is change and disruption happening—which is the case in both construction and manufacturing.

They also discuss:

· The role of ERP during disruptio...

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 tomorrow.

· Why the time to act is now—a...

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 AI to drive growth, but most aren't...

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 take a human-in-the-loop approach.

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