Peggy Smedley Show

Peggy Smedley interviews Tim Lindner, warehouse automation consultant, Voxware, about the evolution and future of robotics in warehousing and distribution centers. Tim also explores the concept of 'cobots', where humans and robots collaborate to improve efficiency, and shares insights on the practical challenges and potential benefits of robotic deployment in various warehouse environments. 

They also discuss:

• The transition f...

Peggy Smedley welcomes Patrick Halley, president and CEO of the Wireless Infrastructure Assn., to discuss the critical role of wireless connectivity in supporting infrastructure and innovations like AI, 5G cores, and network slicing. Patrick also highlights the importance of smart policies and infrastructure to maintain the United States’ competitive edge in wireless technology.

They also discuss:

• The impact of fixed wireless ...

Peggy explores the role of AI (artificial intelligence) in the future of work, looking at real numbers and success opportunities. She explains how AI is shifting skills needs in many industries, pointing to recent research.

She also discusses:

• A gen AI history lesson and the impact it will ultimately have in the future.
• A PwC claim that AI is making people more valuable, not less, even in the most highly automatable jobs.
• A ne...

Peggy Smedley and Josué Velázquez, research scientist and lecturer, MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, talk about sustainability in supply chains. He says sustainability is part of MIT’s core mission, which focuses on solving the problems of humanity.

They also discuss:

• What happens in the sustainable supply chain lab.
• How generative AI is impacting the supply-chain sustainability conversation.
• How companies can appr...

Peggy Smedley and Akli Adjaoute, entrepreneur, founder, Brighterion and author, Inside AI, talk about his journey with AI (artificial intelligence)—and the role across industries. He says AI is powerful when it is used well.

They also discuss:

• If AI is going to take over our jobs.
• Some of the most exciting tasks AI will help us do.
• The risks surrounding gen AI and ChatGPT—and how we ultimately build intelligence.

exponio...

Peggy talks about how we can make change happen in rural communities with broadband. She says we must consider how you will make change happen in your own community to have stronger and more resilient communities for all.

She also discusses:

• A history lesson about the Bipartisan Congressional Rural Broadband Caucus.
• Details about the BEAD program, formerly known as the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program.
• What nee...

Peggy Smedley and Ja-Naé Duane, faculty, Brown University and MIT Research Fellow and Steve Fisher, managing partner, Revolution Factory and Chief Futurist, The Human Frontier Institute, talk about the pace of change and how leaders and businesses can build more resilient businesses in a time of constant disruption.

They also discuss:

• The 9 supershifts we are seeing that are transforming the age of intelligence.
• Putting the pe...

Peggy Smedley and Julie Fraser, VP of research for operations, Tech-Clarity, talk about the current state of smart manufacturing and data challenges, narrowing in on the role gen AI (artificial intelligence) is playing. She says a new report is designed to help manufacturers understand what the potential is for them.

They also discuss:

• How to best leverage AI to gain value in manufacturing.
• How software companies are building ...

Peggy Smedley talks about the clean power manufacturing sector, explaining how it is driving the U.S. economic boom. She says we need to make, build, and grow together, which will require several shifts in manufacturing.

She also discusses:

• How much it contributes to the U.S. GDP annually today—and will in 2030.
• Growth anticipated for jobs, earnings, and economic output.
• How it can help generate opportunities for local communi...

Peggy Smedley and James Zou, professor, Stanford University, talk about AI (artificial intelligence) agents and how AI is being used in scientific discovery. He says it is important to think about the difference between AI as a tool and AI as a collaborator, or an agent.

They also discuss:

• What scientific problems are best suited for AI agents to solve—and which are still out of reach.
• How to ensure everything being produced i...

Peggy Smedley and Adam Brotman and Andy Sack, cofounders, Forum 3, and authors, AI First, talk about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for businesses, with the advancement of AI (artificial intelligence). Andy says the young people are using AI all day every day and they have a set of skills and intelligence that are broad. Adam says the AI first company starts with the AI first leader.

They also discuss:

• The imp...

Peggy talks about work zone and road safety, saying there are far too many crashes. She explores the dangers that exist on the road today, identifying how to keep workers and motorists safe.

She also discusses:

• Research that has been conducted.
• Efforts being made at the local and federal levels.
• A case study that is leveraging technology in a unique way to ensure construction workers are safe.

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Peggy Smedley and Kat Kraft, director of product, Teren, talk about geospatial analysis, sharing how her organization is using predictive analytics to help her clients shift the paradigm from a reactive response to a more proactive response. She says the company develops and applies machine learning to identify where environmental conditions are changing that may trigger risks to communities or critical infrastructure. 

They also d...

Peggy Smedley and Ryan McGuire, president, Clayco Compute, talk about data center construction trends. He says this year, which is the same as last year, the company’s revenue in the data center business will represent about 50% of the total revenue of the company, which is approaching $8 billion. 

They also discuss:

• Why data center construction is exciting and the promise of artificial intelligence.
• The challenges of the rise...

Peggy Smedley talks about how manufacturing and sustainability need to come together with normal business activity. She says we need to leverage data, and we need to move to a new way of working.

She also discusses:

• How much of the world’s energy usage comes from the manufacturing and production sectors and challenges in manufacturing that require a shift to a more circular approach.
• New digital initiatives such as the Digital...

Peggy Smedley and Raj Paul, senior director, Americas Mobility Industry, Microsoft and Knud Lasse Lueth, CEO & founder, IoT Analytics, talk about SDVs (software-defined vehicles) and a new report: Microsoft’s Software-Defined Vehicles: Adoption and Impact. Raj Paul says the amount of software that is getting into the car, it has been an exponential race. Knud Lasse Lueth says the research shows SDVs is the No. 1 priority that car O...

Peggy Smedley and Prithwiraj Choudhury, Lumry Family Associate Professor, Harvard Business School and author, The World Is Your Office, talk about work from anywhere trends. He has been studying the geography of work for more than a decade before hybrid work was a trend. 

They also discuss:

• The difference between work from anywhere and work from home.
• How AI and sensors can enable blue collar workers to work from anywhere.
• How...

Peggy talks about new labor trends, including quiet cracking. She gives a peek behind the curtain into what is happening with our workforce—and how all of these trends will ultimately impact the future of work. 

She also discusses:

• The past five years and movements such as the great resignation, quiet quitting, labor hoarding, and more.
• The percentage of people quiet cracking—and how it is impacting the workforce.
• What steps w...

Peggy Smedley talks about how companies can stand out in an oversaturated market when you need to do something different. She says some of the staggering statistics are not going away anytime soon—and she talks about what can be done to stand out and compete.

She also discusses:

• Six factors creating market instability.
• How to control the conversation in an evolving market.
• The importance of a production strategy and an amplifi...