Author: Peggy Smedley
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 against them. How to create a data literate society. norc.org factforwardbook.org (8/19/25 – 933) What You Might Have Missed: Work from Anywhere AI: Threat or…
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 the future is going to look like. The size of the manufacturing labor shortage. The percentage of AI investments and pilot projects that are not returning ROI. thirdeyeadvisory.com (8/19/25 – 933) What You Might…
The average value of construction disputes in North America saw a significant surge, increasing by 40% in 2024. This is in comparison to the modest 1% rise from 2022 to 2023, according to the 15 Annual Arcadis Construction Disputes Report. Since 2021, dispute values have nearly doubled, and compared to 2019, they have tripled. Perhaps even more terrifying, respondents are anticipating the data is going to reveal even more disputes in 2025 compared to the 2024 time period. Do we need better risk management with the help of AI (artificial intelligence)? This begs the question why? This is really an…
Different regions of the United States have different climates, something I have experienced firsthand ever since I have moved to the Southeast. As we know climate can have an impact on agriculture, urban, and environmental systems. This is why my interest was piqued when a report crossed my desk about very specific climate indicators in the Southeast. For today’s blog, let’s dig into this report and then look at how it will ultimately impact vertical industries like agriculture. The report looks at one very specific region—Southeast Florida—but it provides a good representation of similar climate indicators for the entire Southeast.…
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 opportunities, risks, and what comes next. peggysmedleyshow.com (8/12/25 – 932) What You Might Have Missed: Agentic AI in the City The Rise of AI Ghosts The Rise of Humanoids IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley,…
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 benchmarks. The correlation between cost and carbon. Why she chose this as her research and how her research has shifted. users.ece.cmu.edu/~asrirama (8/12/25 – 932) What You Might Have Missed: Server Farms, Data Centers, AI Factories, Oh My! All about Data Center Construction At the…
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 relative to other industries. New innovations such as AI (artificial intelligence)—and how they might change the construction industry as a whole. Two examples of historical innovations and the lag from initial invention and the ultimate speed of…
It is always interesting when new reports come out about the state of construction technology. As we edge closer to the end of the year, we are going to start to see new predictions about what’s already here and what is coming for construction technology. While some of the reports maybe be ambitious, it helps us unpack the state of emerging technologies such as AI (artificial intelligence) and digest how to approach technology in the year ahead. As a very recent example, Wipfli announced its 2025 state of technology in construction report, which surveyed 308 construction executives, and AI is…
Most of us in the manufacturing industry know the challenges: supply-chain disruptions, rising costs, the need for greater sustainability, the rising demand to produce faster than ever before, and of course the ongoing labor shortage. This is why we are embarking on a blog series about the future of manufacturing. Some might be saying I am harping on the same old issues. But let’s take a moment to step back and recap what we have been talking about. We have already explored who the future worker is, the technology that will enable the future of work, and how we can…
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 what comes next and what we can do to prepare. peggysmedleyshow.com (8/5/25 – 931) What You Might Have Missed: AI Opportunities in a New World The Promise of Quantum All about Quantum IoT, Internet of Things,…