Podcast
Peggy Smedley Show
Hosted by Peggy Smedley · EN
IoT, AI, the Future of Work—if it's revolutionizing industries, Peggy's talking about it. Each week on The Peggy Smedley Show, she delivers cutting-edge perspectives from top experts, keeping 150,000+ listeners ahead of the curve.
69episodes
Episodes
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Reshaping Railroad with AI
3w ago00:28:49Tap to summarizeFreight rail moves 40% of long-distance goods in the U.S., but the industry's biggest challenge isn't infrastructure, it's intelligence. In this episode of The Peggy Smedley Show, host Peggy Smedley sits down with V. Krishnan, industry advisor for Microsoft manufacturing & mobility, to explore how AI agents and realtime decision tools are reshaping the future of rail. They discuss: Why railroads are drowning in data but struggling to act on it How CSX used AI to transform customer experience The Rumo case study: cutting lookup times from 4 minutes to 3 seconds Fuel optimization and how AI can cut costs 3–7% without new infrastructure Weather analytics, workforce challenges, and the retiring knowledge crisis Why the next 10% of performance won't come from more track — it'll come from smarter decisions Whether you're in logistics, supply chain, or enterprise tech, this conversation is a must-listen. https://aka.ms/RumorailAI https://aka.ms/CSXrailAI
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Model Context Protocol 101
3w ago00:31:46Tap to summarizeWhat does it take to make AI reliable enough to design a bridge? Peggy Smedley sits down with Francois Valois, senior vice president of Bentley Open Applications at Bentley Systems, to unpack the MCP (model context protocol — an open, agnostic standard that connects AI agents to deterministic engineering tools like STAAD and MicroStation ensuring trust, validation, and accountability in engineering workflows. They explore why generative AI alone needs to be more trustworthy for infrastructure design, how MCP bridges the gap between non-deterministic LLMs (large language models) and precise calculation engines, and what Bentley's open-source strategy means for the future of connected-infrastructure data. Topics covered: What MCP is and why Anthropic invented it Why "90% accurate" isn't acceptable in engineering How STAAD and MicroStation are now AI-accessible via MCP The role of structured data (and dark data) in AI workflows How to start experimenting with AI agents in your firm The future of the engineer in an AI-augmented world infrastructure.ai | connectedworld.com | peggysmedleyshow.com
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7 Lies about AI
4w ago00:13:52Tap to summarizePeggy shares the 7 lies she has been hearing about AI, challenging some common assumptions. She says these narratives have become so common that many of us have stopped questioning them. She also discusses: · A pattern that emerges surrounding the 7 lies. · Where the real opportunity lies and what the biggest threat is. · What you should do next inside of your own organization. https://peggysmedleyshow.com
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Data Inspired
4w ago00:30:25Tap to summarizePeggy Smedley and Sebastian Wernicke, author, talk about moving from being data driven to data inspired. He says most data projects don't fail, they do something much worse, they make you very good at staying the same. They also discuss: · Your data framework—how to organize it—and the decision framework in your organization. · How to keep up with the pace of change and look at all of this in relation to the people in the organization. · Fatal flaws that they will have to think about in order to overcome hurdles. https://www.datainspired.org
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Navigating without a Map
4w ago00:15:26Tap to summarizePeggy Smedley and Jeff Ton, author of Uncharted Moments, talk about his leadership background and how he learned to navigate without a map. He says he is a career technologist and most of that was in leadership positions, and the story in the book is about tracing the Lewis and Clark trail. They also discuss: · Leadership lessons from the Lewis and Clark expedition. · How leaders can navigate uncertainty—which translates to today's AI era. · The concept of pausing and listening and its importance in leadership. https://jeffreyston.com/
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Connecting Manufacturing
Jun 1700:13:58Tap to summarizePeggy talks about how manufacturers have production systems, improvement programs, and even data, but fail to implement consistently across their organizations. She says we need to move beyond reactive data and to better connections between data, people, learning, and action. She also discusses: · How many have a global production system—and how many report that it is fully implemented across all sites. · Why so many efforts fall short, including the two traps many manufacturers fall into. · How to solve the challenge with a combination of people and data. https://peggysmedleyshow.com
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Graco: 100 Years
Jun 1700:28:17Tap to summarizePeggy Smedley and Angie Wordell, executive vice president and chief operations and supply chain officer, Graco, talk about the company reaching 100 years and how it achieved the longevity. She says it is about staying close to customers and solving real-world problems. They also discuss: · The two founders who solved an industry problem and the pivotal inflection points. · The technology transformation and its impact on the market and business. · How labor, safety, and business intersect for a company reaching 100 years. https://www.graco.com/us/en.html
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Closing the Gap between Insight and Action
Jun 1700:16:21Tap to summarizePeggy Smedley and Dave Moelker, CEO, Twisthink, talk about why connected products, data, and AI matter today more than ever before. He says customers' expectations continue to move forward and too often there is a gap between insight and action. They also discuss: · Why so many connected product efforts stall at the pilot stage. · A good place to start with these efforts today. · Advice for the next 30 days—and four steps to take now. https://twisthink.com
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Humanity at a Crossroads
Jun 1000:13:58Tap to summarizePeggy gives her thoughts about why humanity stands at a crossroads with AI (artificial intelligence). She says we need to have a conversation about what kind of future we want to build. She also discusses: · What the Pope has to say about AI. · What happens when AI becomes increasingly autonomous. · The steps to take to develop successful technology ecosystems. https://peggysmedleyshow.com
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AI Projects: Moving Too Fast?
Jun 1000:31:45Tap to summarizePeggy Smedley and Chris Willis, chief design officer and futurist, Domo, talk about the danger of moving too fast with AI (artificial intelligence). He says real strategy doesn't start with fear; it starts with trying to solve a problem. They also discuss: · What history tells us about this movement, such as the PC revolution. · What needs to happen to greenlight AI projects. · How to go faster on the things you know will work. https://www.domo.com/
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