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

Peggy talks about one of the biggest business challenges today: turning data into insights, and ultimately better business decisions. She says we have more information available than ever before, but that doesn't automatically mean creating better insights.

She also discusses:

· How too much information can sometimes make decisions harder.

· The next phase of digital transformation.

· Four big trends driving this shift.

· How AI (artificial intelligence) is changing the conversation.

· Her candid thoughts on what construction and manufacturing leaders should be focusing on next.

Peggy talks about one of the biggest business challenges today: turning data into insights, and ultimately better business decisions. She says we have more information available than ever before, but that doesn't automatically mean creating better insights. She also discusses: · How too much information can sometimes make decisions harder. · The next phase of digital transformation. · Four big trends driving this shift. · How AI (artificial intelligence) is changing the conversation. · Her candid thoughts on what construction and manufacturing leaders should be focusing on next.

https://peggysmedleyshow.com

AI is changing everything in the AEC industry — but not in the way most people fear. In this episode of The Peggy Smedley Show, host Peggy Smedley sits down with Claire Rutkowski, Executive Director of AI Productivity and Enablement at WSP, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the engineering workforce.

They dig into how AI is catching recurring clash patterns, flagging spec drift before it becomes costly rework, compressing meeting prep time, and freeing engineers to focus on judgment, creativity, and higher-value decisions. Claire also shares how WSP is upskilling its workforce, why the most skeptical engineers are often the most valuable voices in the room, and what it means to mentor a generation that's ready to go AI-native.

Topics covered:

• Is AI coming for engineering jobs? The honest answer
• How AI agents work alongside engineers today — and where it's heading
• Clash detection, spec inconsistencies, and change order prevention
• Smarter coordination meetings powered by AI
• Upskilling engineers: persona-based training at scale
• The shift from project delivery to full asset lifecycle intelligence
• What separates firms that will lead from those that fall behind

Guest: Claire Rutkowski, WSP Executive Director of AI Productivity and Enablement 🌐 wsp.com | Follow Claire on LinkedIn