Peggy Smedley Show

Peggy concludes her five-part series of predictions for 2027 by looking at how wisdom and human judgment will become increasingly valuable as AI makes information, analysis, and answers easier to generate. For her fifth and final prediction, Peggy says 2027 could be a turning point as organizations move beyond simply using AI to generate answers and focus more on knowing which answers matter, questioning AI recommendations, and applying human experience and context to make better decisions.

She also encourages listeners to:

· Use AI to analyze information, identify patterns, and generate options.

· Capture and preserve the knowledge and experience of retiring workers by using AI to make historical information more accessible.

· Focus on asking better questions and applying context, critical thinking, ethics, and long-term thinking.

· Rethink workforce training by teaching people not only how to use AI, but how to supervise, evaluate, question, and improve the work AI produces.

· Remember that AI can provide more answers, but human wisdom and judgment remain essential for deciding which answers are worth following.

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Peggy continues her five-part series of predictions for 2027 by looking at how AI governance, security, and accountability will become increasingly important as businesses integrate AI into their operations. For her fourth prediction, Peggy says 2027 could be a turning point as companies move beyond simply adopting AI and begin establishing clear rules around who can use it, what data it can access, what actions it can take, and who is ultimately responsible for its outcomes.

She also encourages listeners to:

· Identify every AI system being used across the organization and understand who owns each one.

· Establish clear guidelines for when AI can make recommendations or take action and when human approval is required.

· Define accountability so there is always a person or team responsible.

· Treat governance as an operating model that creates clarity, trust, and confidence while allowing organizations to scale AI responsibly.

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Peggy continues her five-part series of predictions for 2027 by looking at how construction companies could begin treating historical data as a valuable business asset. For her third prediction, Peggy says 2027 could be a turning point as construction companies move beyond simply storing years of project information and begin using that data to inform better decisions, transfer knowledge, and improve future projects.

She also encourages listeners to:

· Organize and connect historical project data so it can be easily accessed and used.

· Use AI to uncover patterns across past projects, including cost overruns, delays, risks, and project performance.

· Capture the knowledge and lessons behind the data so experience can be shared with the next generation of workers.

· Treat historical data as more than an archive and use it as a competitive advantage for future projects.

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Peggy continues her five-part series of predictions for 2027 by looking at how AI will move from experimentation to real-world scale in manufacturing. For her second prediction, Peggy says 2027 could be a turning point as manufacturers move beyond pilots and proof of concepts and begin making AI a more integral part of how their operations run.

She also encourages listeners to:

· Focus on business problems where AI can create measurable value, rather than adding AI everywhere.

· Fix processes, connect data, and involve people before trying to scale AI.

· Use AI to augment the knowledge and experience of workers while scaling the use cases that actually work.

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Does the future of infrastructure engineering need to be open? Peggy Smedley sits down with Greg Demchak, vice president of emerging technologies at Bentley Systems, to unpack why open standards, open-source technology, and APIs (application programming interfaces) are essential for the next generation of infrastructure. He says openness is about agreeing to a standard that enables interoperability between systems.

They also discuss:

· What open really means in an infrastructure context.

· The hidden cost of vendor lock-in and why data portability matters across an asset's lifecycle.

· How Bentley's iTwin platform and iModel open schema enable a vendor-neutral, single source of truth.

· The role of AI agents and MCP (model context protocol) in the future of infrastructure engineering.

· Bentley Labs experiments with agentic software development.

· Why governance and cybersecurity are essential with critical infrastructure.

· The next frontier for generative AI and infrastructure.

https://www.bentley.com/en/connected-data-unlocked-value/

Peggy kicks off her five-part series of predictions for 2027 by looking at how businesses will use technology to make better decisions. For her first prediction, Peggy says digital twins will move beyond visualization and become increasingly important tools for understanding what could happen next.

She also encourages listeners to:

· See digital twins as decision tools and to use data to look forward.

· Ask more what if questions and explore scenarios before acting.

· Keep human judgment in the loop and always start with the business problem.

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Peggy Smedley looks ahead to 2027 and explores what businesses must do to move beyond AI experimentation to real, scaled implementation. From building a people-centric AI strategy to retaining top talent, modernizing legacy infrastructure, and adopting agentic AI in business workflows, this episode breaks down the hard decisions leaders face. Topics include IDC's forecast of $22 trillion in cumulative AI economic value by 2031, Forrester's budget expectations, why more money doesn't equal more innovation, and why the companies that thrive will balance people, process, and technology. Plus, Peggy shares a practical tip: pick one technology area you don't fully understand and make it your personal assignment.

PeggySmedleyShow.com

I is reshaping every industry, but the real question isn't whether technology will change — it's whether your skills are evolving fast enough to keep up. In this episode of The Peggy Smedley Show, host Peggy Smedley breaks down what it really means to prepare the workforce for an AI-driven economy.

We cover:

• Why the future of work is about humans with AI, not humans vs. AI
• The human skills AI can't replicate — and why they're becoming the most valuable
• How the best organizations are developing talent instead of just hiring it
• Why continuous learning is your greatest competitive advantage
• Practical steps leaders can take to build a culture of curiosity and growth
• The role of trust, ethics, and transparency in AI adoption

Whether you're a business leader, manager, or professional navigating change, this episode will challenge you to rethink how you approach learning, leadership, and growth in the age of AI.

Everyone is racing to adopt AI, automate processes, and keep up with the latest technology breakthroughs. But is moving faster always the right strategy?

In this episode of The Peggy Smedley Show, Peggy explores why businesses need their own version of "recess" to step back, think clearly, and innovate with purpose. She discusses the difference between activity and innovation, why leaders must make time for reflection, and how AI should enhance critical thinking rather than replace it.

Key topics include:

• Why speed without direction isn't a strategy
• The risk of solving the wrong problems with AI
• How reflection drives better innovation
• Creating intentional "business recess" time
• The role of leadership in the age of AI
• Why wisdom may be more valuable than speed

What if your greatest competitive advantage isn't moving faster, but thinking better before you act?

#ArtificialIntelligence #Leadership #Innovation #DigitalTransformation #BusinessStrategy #AI #FutureOfWork #PeggySmedleyShow

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Every August, students go back to school — and business leaders should take note. In this episode of The Peggy Smedley Show, host Peggy Smedley uses the back-to-school season as a lens to examine one of the most critical questions facing organizations today: As we race to adopt AI, automation, and digital transformation, are we actually solving the right problems?

Peggy revisits the foundational principle that has guided Connected World for years — the right balance of people, process, and technology — and explains why that three-legged stool matters more than ever in the age of generative AI, agentic AI, and physical AI.

In this episode, you'll hear why:

• Technology is the enabler, not the destination
• Data without insight is just noise
• AI cannot fix broken processes — it only exposes them
• The next decade will be won by organizations that learn continuously, not the ones that spend the most on tech

This week's tip: Pick one business challenge. Don't start by asking which technology to buy — start by asking why the problem exists in the first place.

Subscribe for new episodes every Thursday, and join Peggy live every Tuesday at 12 PM Central.

PeggySmedleyShow.com | LinkedIn: Peggy Smedley