Soft Skills in Construction

Peggy unpacks how agentic AI (artificial intelligence) is set to revolutionize the energy sector. With the energy market under pressure from infrastructure strain, cybersecurity threats, and the push for sustainability, she explains how AI agents can drive smarter, more autonomous, and more resilient systems across the grid. She also discusses: How many energy companies are using gen AI—and why they still haven’t seen breakthrough impact yet. Use cases for how agentic AI can help specifically in the energy market. A roadmap to scale agentic AI in the energy market. peggysmedleyshow.com  (9/9/25 - 936) What You Might Have Missed: Agentic AI Comes for Manufacturing Agentic AI Comes to Construction Agentic AI at Frontier Firms IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, 5G, cloud, sustainability, future of work, podcast This episode is available on all major streaming platforms. If you enjoyed this segment, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.

Peggy Smedley and Adan Banda, senior geospatial data manager, and Brandon Mann, geospatial analyst, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, talk about GIS (geographic information systems) and how the technology is applied to complex infrastructures. Adan says DFW airport is a very large airport—larger than the island of Manhattan—which requires a single source of truth. Brandon says people are flying more—a 5% increase year over year on commercial flights—and we are all getting busier, which means the integrated and coordinated systems need to be in place. They also discuss: How and what the digital twin monitors at DFW Airport. How AI (artificial intelligence) plays a role here. What’s next for GIS in airports. dfwairport.com  (9/9/25 - 936) What You Might Have Missed: TMS and AI: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow The Rise of Tech for Airports and Aviation Traveling into the Future with AI IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, 5G, cloud, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Adan Banda, Brandon Mann, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport This episode is available on all major streaming platforms. If you enjoyed this segment, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.

Peggy Smedley and Donna Laquidara-Carr, industry insights research director, Dodge Construction Network, talk about the soft skills needed to attract more workers to the construction industry. She says they did a survey about the cost of poor collaboration. They also discuss: How many interactions contractors have daily with people from other companies—and how many involve some sort of conflict. How many found positive team dynamics on their regular projects. Which is more important: communication or technical skills. construction.com  (9/9/25 - 936) What You Might Have Missed: Insight into Construction Worker Trends Employee Productivity in Construction What’s Next for AI in Construction IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, 5G, cloud, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Donna Laquidara-Carr, Dodge Construction Network This episode is available on all major streaming platforms. If you enjoyed this segment, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.

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 You Might Have Missed: Agentic AI Comes to Construction Agentic AI at Frontier Firms All about AI Agentic Swarms IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, manufacturing, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, 5G, cloud, sustainability, future of work, podcast, industrial manufacturing, agentic AI This episode is available on all major streaming platforms. If you enjoyed this segment, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.

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 that impacts the work of a biographer. jonathaneig.com  (9/2/25 - 935) What You Might Have Missed: Work from Anywhere Empowering Women on the Way to the Top Employment Is Dead IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, 5G, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Jonathan Eig, author, manufacturing This episode is available on all major streaming platforms. If you enjoyed this segment, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.

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: Employee Productivity in Construction What’s Next for AI in Construction AI Shifts Future of Work IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, construction, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, 5G, cloud, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Donna Laquidara-Carr, Dodge Construction Network This episode is available on all major streaming platforms. If you enjoyed this segment, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.

Peggy digs into agentic AI (artificial intelligence) and its transformative potential for the construction industry. She explores how this next evolution of AI—capable of autonomous reasoning and decision-making—can address some of the industry’s most pressing challenges from labor shortages to supply-chain complexity. She also discusses: The staggering growth forecast of the agentic AI market. Why small and midsized construction firms are still hesitant to adopt AI—and what the data says about this trend. Use cases where agentic AI can make a difference, including project scheduling, supply chain coordination, and worksite safety. peggysmedleyshow.com  (8/26/25 - 934) What You Might Have Missed: Employee Productivity in Construction What’s Next for AI in Construction AI in the Steel Industry IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, 5G, cloud, sustainability, future of work, podcast This episode is available on all major streaming platforms. If you enjoyed this segment, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.

Peggy Smedley and Yury Gomez, global commercial head for supply chain manufacturing and mobility industries, Microsoft, talk about the acceleration of AI (artificial intelligence) and agentic AI. She says supply chains are getting drastically overwhelmed once again, with geopolitical conflicts, but the good news is Microsoft is changing how the supply chain is done with technology because technology is really changing the game.  They also discuss: What a Frontier Firm is and how agentic AI can help Frontier Firms. Examples of case studies where agentic AI is helping in the supply chain. Three areas where companies need to intensify. 2025: The year the Frontier Firm is born Building the Frontier Firm with Microsoft Azure: The business case for cloud and AI modernization (8/26/25 - 934) What You Might Have Missed: Key Considerations for Manufacturing The Age of AI in Automotive Manufacturing: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, 5G, cloud, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Yury Gomez, Microsoft This episode is available on all major streaming platforms. If you enjoyed this segment, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.  

Peggy Smedley and Maria Pacheco, assistant professor of computer science, University of Colorado Boulder, discuss the results of a study surrounding AI (artificial intelligence) solving sudoku puzzles. She says the more complex the problems, the more difficult the time the tools had at solving them. They also discuss: Why even the best tools had a hard time reasoning why they came to an answer. The three stages to the language models acquiring the knowledge. The main danger that exists and how we can use them for what they are good at. colorado.edu/cs  (8/26/25 - 934) What You Might Have Missed: AI for IT Operations AI, Energy, and the Need for Innovation AI as a Collaborator IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, 5G, cloud, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Maria Pacheco, University of Colorado Boulder This episode is available on all major streaming platforms. If you enjoyed this segment, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.

Peggy unpacks the who, what, when, where, why, and how of ambient invisible intelligence—and what it means for the way we live and work. She explores how this technology will quietly transform our homes, cities, hospitals, and factories, enabling more natural and intuitive human experience.  She also discusses: The timeline for widespread adoption and how some vertical markets are already embracing ambient intelligence. Why advances in low-power electronics, energy harvesting, and edge are accelerating this shift. Her candid thoughts on the opportunities, challenges, and what must come next. peggysmedleyshow.com  (8/19/25 - 933) What You Might Have Missed: All about AI Agentic Swarms All about Quantum Real Estate The Rise of AI Ghosts IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, 5G, cloud, sustainability, future of work, podcast This episode is available on all major streaming platforms. If you enjoyed this segment, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.