AI as a Collaborator

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 is accurate and trustworthy. If the role or the degree to which students are entering university changed because of AI. james-zou.com  (6/3/25 - 923) What You Might Have Missed:  AI Comes to Construction Cameras Use Cases for AI AI: Notable Breakthroughs IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, 5G, cloud, sustainability, future of work, podcast, James Zou, Stanford University This episode is available on all major streaming platforms. If you enjoyed this segment, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.

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. peggysmedleyshow.com  (5/27/25 - 922) What You Might Have Missed:  Tech to the Rescue Improving Road Safety and Efficiency Driving Insights 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 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 discuss: How geospatial analysis can help in a number of different areas. The challenges that relate to geospatial analysis and Earth science. If we see an impact on the bottomline. teren4d.com  (5/27/25 - 922) What You Might Have Missed:  Manufacturing: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow Manage Construction Project Risk The Makings of a Smart Elevator IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, 5G, cloud, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Kat Kraft, Teren This episode is available on all major streaming platforms. If you enjoyed this segment, please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts.

Peggy and Yan Chen, professor, department of computer science Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Northwestern University, talk about the impact of APT (advanced persistent threat) attacks, giving specific examples such as Target and Equifax. They also discuss: How the computer industry was in survivor mode in the beginning and where we are today. The need for a holistic effort from everybody to address our challenge with security. How AI (artificial intelligence) will revolutionize everything including security in the next 5-10 years and how his team is using AI to do something that was impossible before. mccormick.northwestern.edu (03.09.21 - #709) IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, 5G cloud, sustainability, future of work, podcast

Peggy is joined by Carol Bartucci, president, Crisp Consulting, who says her goal is to really help people with IT—including developing a strategy and planning. She says companies can do a five-year plan, but they have to be constantly reevaluating it. She says it is good to do pilots and proofs of concept and it is essential to have integration with existing systems. The reality is people don’t like failure because it sets them back and there is a loss of money, but sometimes companies have to go through multiple iterations. She suggests setting expectations. Still, she says the challenge is companies take a leap, buy new technology, invest in a new product, and it doesn’t deliver—and it takes months for it to work. When it comes to women in the industry, she says women don’t understand the roles. Today, we need to get more people to be involved—and high school is almost a little bit too late. Finally, she says trying to get everyone to agree on a forward path is hard.

New Year. New format. Peggy Smedley rings in the New Year by updating listeners on what you can expect from The Peggy Smedley Show in 2018! Peggy delves into why cyber-security concerns have caused manufacturers to be reluctant to embrace the IoT (Internet of Things) in their facilities and on their jobs. Peggy outlines a few things these companies can do to curb their IoT fears and what they should keep an eye on when they start implementing new technologies.