Freight rail moves 40% of long-distance goods in the U.S., but the industry's biggest challenge isn't infrastructure, it's intelligence. In this episode of The Peggy Smedley Show, host Peggy Smedley sits down with V. Krishnan, industry advisor for Microsoft manufacturing & mobility, to explore how AI agents and realtime decision tools are reshaping the future of rail.
They discuss:
Why railroads are drowning in data but struggling to act on it
How CSX used AI to transform customer experience
The Rumo case study: cutting lookup times from 4 minutes to 3 seconds
Fuel optimization and how AI can cut costs 3–7% without new infrastructure
Weather analytics, workforce challenges, and the retiring knowledge crisis
Why the next 10% of performance won't come from more track — it'll come from smarter decisions
Whether you're in logistics, supply chain, or enterprise tech, this conversation is a must-listen.
Model Context Protocol (MCP) 101how, host Peggy Smedl
What does it actually take to make AI reliable enough to design a bridge? Peggy Smedley sits down with Francois Valois, SVP of Open Applications at Bentley Systems, to unpack the Model Context Protocol (MCP) — the open standard that connects AI agents to deterministic engineering tools like STAAD and MicroStation.
They explore why generative AI alone can't be trusted for infrastructure design, how MCP bridges the gap between non-deterministic LLMs and precise calculation engines, and what Bentley's open-source strategy means for the future of connected infrastructure data.
Topics covered:
What MCP is and why Anthropic invented it
Why "90% accurate" isn't acceptable in engineering
How STAAD and MicroStation are now AI-accessible via MCP
The role of structured data (and dark data) in AI workflows
How to start experimenting with AI agents in your firm
The future of the engineer in an AI-augmented world
Guest: Francois Valois, SVP of Open Applications, Bentley Systems
Host: Peggy Smedley, The Peggy Smedley Show
The Lithium Boom is Heating Up
Lithium stock prices grew 2X+ from June to January. But the real winner may be a private stock: EnergyX. Their tech can recover 3X more lithium than traditional methods, leading General Motors to invest. Now they’re preparing to unlock ~13M tons of lithium. Invest in EnergyX for $13/share by the 7/16 deadline.
Energy Exploration Technologies, Inc. (“EnergyX”) has engaged Beehiiv to publish this communication in connection with EnergyX’s ongoing Regulation A offering. Beehiiv has been paid in cash and may receive additional compensation. Beehiiv and/or its affiliates do not currently hold securities of EnergyX.
This compensation and any current or future ownership interest could create a conflict of interest. Please consider this disclosure alongside EnergyX’s offering materials. EnergyX’s Regulation A offering has been qualified by the SEC. Offers and sales may be made only by means of the qualified offering circular. Before investing, carefully review the offering circular, including the risk factors. The offering circular is available at invest.energyx.com/.
Comparisons to other companies are for informational purposes only and should not imply similar results. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Market shortfall are forward‑looking estimates and are subject to substantial uncertainty.
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