Author: Peggy Smedley
Columbia, S.C., has approximately 45,000 roofs, 3,400 lane-miles of road, and 700 acres of parking lots–surfaces that absorb up to 95% of incoming solar radiation. The danger here is these areas can heat up the city during the summer months and lead to flooding issues. Left untreated, these dark and impervious areas can make parts of Columbia up to 13 ˚F hotter than less developed areas. Enter innovation. My home city of Columbia (Yes, I moved from Chicago where I lived all my life a few years ago, although family and business has me retuning often. That’s a discussion for…
The numbers are in. Civil infrastructure is under increasing stress—and not just from the physical stress of wear and tear or climate factors. Rather, the industry is seeing significant economic changes that are putting increasing stress on the industry. At the top of the list, we have rising labor and material costs, which are changing the game, but really that is just the tip of the iceberg. It is time we get a much clearer picture about where we are now with our infrastructure, so we can move forward and build a better tomorrow. Otherwise, the cracks in the infrastructure…
With the rise of agentic AI (artificial intelligence), it is time to gear up for a new era of work—one that will exist in an intelligent economy and one where Frontier Firms will guide the way. But first, let’s back up to really take a step forward. Let’s better understand where we have been. Historically, in many industries, the workforce has had to search for information across many disparate systems and have had to work across siloed teams. At the same time, many leaders have had to rely on their own expertise and judgment to make decisions with incomplete data.…
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 floor. She also discusses: The role of both virtual and embodied AI agents in reshaping industrial work. A five-step plan for manufacturers to pilot, scale, and succeed with agentic AI. The long-term opportunities for near-autonomous factories. peggysmedleyshow.com (9/2/25 – 935) What…
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 floor. She also discusses: The role of both virtual and embodied AI agents in reshaping industrial work. A five-step plan for manufacturers to pilot, scale, and succeed with agentic AI. The long-term opportunities for near-autonomous factories. peggysmedleyshow.com (9/2/25 – 935) What…
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 the impact on the civil rights movement. How King’s ethical perspective on work could serve as a counterpoint to today’s culture. How journalism has changed—and how…
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 the impact on the civil rights movement. How King’s ethical perspective on work could serve as a counterpoint to today’s culture. How journalism has changed—and how…
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 industry. How to expand beyond what we are doing now. The disconnect between the perception of what is keeping people out of construction and what is actually keeping people out of construction. construction.com (9/2/25 – 935) What You Might Have Missed:…
In July 1969, the world watched in awe as a human walked on the moon, and Neil Armstrong uttered the words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Much has changed in the past five decades, and now space travel may continue in new and different ways—and man may be responsible for the construction and development of new communities on different planets. NASA’s Artemis campaign aims to explore the moon for scientific discovery and prepare for human missions to Mars, with lunar bases planned by 2030 and round trip to Mars in 2039. I will admit…
If you follow my blog, then you know last week I penned an article about researchers determining if AI (artificial intelligence) can solve your morning sudoku. The results were interesting to say the least. But the biggest concern is sometimes the AI explanations made-up facts (no we are not talking fake news here, that’s a conversation for another day) and in one case when asked about solving a puzzle, the AI responded with a weather forecast. This had me down a rabbit hole if there can be an even deeper, darker side, and it led me to AI psychosis. Are…