Peggy digs into a new report that looks at ransomware, business email compromise, and data incidents. She says for all businesses this represents an operational risk, a financial risk, a brand risk, and a leadership risk.

She also discusses:

· Which industry was the most heavily targeted for ransomware.

· Five key predictions for 2026.

· Three next steps businesses should take to protect their businesses.

https://peggysmedleyshow.com

Peggy Smedley and Sabari Raja, managing partner, JFFVentures, and Molly Blankenship, associate vice president, Jobs for the Future, talk about new research from the Jobs for the Future, which reveals only 40% of U.S. workers hold jobs that meet basic standards for financial stability, mobility, agency, and safe, respective working conditions.

They also discuss:

· How much it costs employers when workers are disengaged.

· How learning has happened in the past—and how AI will change upskilling and reskilling.

· How to make sure jobs are providing what they need to for workers and the economy.

https://www.jff.org/

Peggy Smedley and Kelly Ireland, CEO, CBT, talk about the mindset leaders carry into every decision—and the beliefs that shape culture, narrowing in on industry stagnation at the leadership level. She says it is a mixed bag and some of it is about what they have seen as being unsuccessful in the past.

They also discuss:

· POC purgatory and what stalled.

· Adoption amid a mixed workforce.

· The biggest blind spot leadership has.

https://www.cbtechinc.com/

Peggy talks about new quantum research at universities and some case studies. She says quantum could add trillions of dollars to the world's economy and thousands of jobs—but we need to ensure we have a strategy around security and implementation.

She also discusses:

· Quantum photonics—and how it is key to the future of mass-produced quantum communications systems.

· A map of where quantum courses can be found at higher education institutions.

· Energy-efficient superconductors that will speed quantum technologies.

https://peggysmedleyshow.com

Peggy Smedley and Scott Aaronson, chair of computer science, University of Texas, Austin, and director of Quantum Information Science Center, separate the science from the mythology of quantum. He says there has been a hope for decades that quantum computers would be useful beyond the two more common quantum tasks.

They also discuss:

· What limit the field still underestimates.

· How an organization should proceed—and if there is a roadmap to consider.

· How to educate students—and ultimately look forward.

https://www.scottaaronson.com/

Peggy Smedley and Deborah Farone, CEO, Farone Advisors, and author of Breaking Ground, talk about the shift with data. She says technology will make it easier to go out and develop business, but the hard thing is markets are constantly in motion.

They also discuss:

· What data we should collect and what data we need.

· Data kept can tell stories if it is put in the right place.

· What she learned by talking to women about how to prepare for the future—and three key traits of these women.

https://deborahfarone.com/

Peggy dissects the three pillars of quantum technology: quantum computing, quantum sensing, and quantum communications. She says the quantum revolution is inevitable and the new innovations that could come as a result of this are exciting.

She also discusses:

· The growth anticipated for the entire market and for each pillar.

· The opportunities that exist within each pillar.

· The inherent risks companies will face, such as Q-Day.

https://peggysmedleyshow.com

Peggy Smedley and Morgan Hays, senior director product management, construction, Bentley Systems, talk about 4D modeling and what comes next with the help of AI (artificial intelligence). He says 4D modeling and 4D-based planning is a massive step forward in the way the construction industry plans both during preconstruction and during execution.

They also discuss:

· The marriage that occurs between the reality capture and the model—and how technology is advancing to enable greater data sharing.

· How 4D is being democratized, becoming available to everyone.

· Several case studies of how 4D can help on projects.

https://www.bentley.com/synchro

Peggy Smedley and Tim Lindner, warehouse automation consultant, talk about robots and what they really mean for workforce trends. He says he sees a shift in the type of people that companies that deploy robots will need. Enter the robot wrangler.

They also discuss:

· If robots are displacing workers—or if they are replacing the work.

· Blending machine intelligence with human intelligence.

· The movie robot that is most like the humanoid robot you can expect to work with.

https://www.voxware.com/

Peggy and cohost Dennis Draeger, foresight director, Shaping Tomorrow, talk about the promise versus the peril of Aiglatson. He says the difficulty is the risk isn't so much on the AI, the risk is on humanity giving up its responsibility to AI.

They also discuss:

· The most credible existential risks of AI.

· How Aiglatson leaders should benchmark them against other risks.

· A comparison of AI to other historical innovations such as the printing press.

https://peggysmedleyshow.com