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Meta-Optic Mirror: Bringing Smart Glasses into Everyday Life

William Attardi on October 14, 2026

Smart glasses are generating considerable excitement as a next-generation information device that could one day replace the smartphone. Working in tandem with AI, they have the potential to bring new value to everyday life, from navigation to real-time translation. Yet, it is still rare to see anyone wearing smart glasses on the street. TDK’s newly developed meta-optic mirror uses nanoscale structures to manipulate light with remarkable flexibility. This innovative device could fundamentally alter our understanding of smart glasses. As AI data centers and robotics continue to advance rapidly, smart glasses are emerging as a promising interface for physical AI, bridging the physical and digital worlds. Smart glasses could eventually become as ubiquitous as smartphones. Allowing stylish designs to coexist with clear fields of view, the technology offers significant potential for smart glasses and future photoelectric conversion devices alike. [News] Meta-Optic Mirror: Bringing Smart Glasses into Everyday Life – LEDinside

WHITE PAPER: Navigating the Journey to AI-Ready Buildings

William Attardi on October 9, 2026

How AI Is Transforming Commercial Buildings. This paper explores how AI systems can be implemented and operated in commercial buildings to address the significant challenges that facility managers and building owners face today and in the immediate future. It also considers the wide range of benefits and new opportunities presented by the adoption of AI-enabled technologies and platforms, as well as all the key requirements for implementing AI in commercial buildings and across real estate portfolios. Navigating the Journey to AI-Ready Buildings | Buildings

WHITE PAPER: BAS: Five Global Trends That Will Define Your Strategy

William Attardi on October 9, 2026

By leveraging advanced building automation system (BAS) technologies today, organizations can reduce costs, streamline workflows and create healthier, more adaptive environments for occupants. Building automation systems are already helping organizations reduce costs, streamline workflows, and create healthier, more responsive environments for occupants. But with AI rapidly advancing, the next generation of BAS technology is set to deliver even greater performance through faster optimization, smarter decision making, and more adaptive building operations. Industry forecasts estimate that by 2028, AI agents will make 15% of daily decisions in smart buildings. Organizations that embrace AI driven BAS technologies now will be better positioned to improve efficiency, enhance occupant experiences, and stay ahead in an increasingly connected future. The Future of BAS is here – are you ready?

PNNL/ASHRAE/NEMA AI Data Center Energy Performance Framework

William Attardi on October 5, 2026

PNNL, ASHRAE, and NEMA conducted an industry survey that revealed the need for collaboration, clear direction, standardization, ongoing engagement, knowledge sharing and education. To address these needs, the three organizations, in conjunction with several industry partners, created the AI Data Center Energy Performance Framework with the following objectives:

  • Deliver a scalable framework for the efficient design, commissioning, retrofit, and operation of AI data centers
  • Enhance energy and water efficiency through adoption of advanced technologies and best practices
  • Support grid reliability and resilience by promoting load flexibility and grid-interactive operations

The Framework presents the guiding principles for building and operating energy-efficient AI data centers. With sections covering all stages of planning, design, construction, operation, and retrofit, this framework guides AI data center development toward optimized and energy-efficient performance. PNNL/ASHRAE/NEMA AI Data Center Energy Performance Framework

Leverage AI to Overcome Data Chaos and Optimize Facility Operations by David Homola

William Attardi on October 2, 2026

Buildings’ operational data is often contained in multiple places that don’t talk to each other, which prevents facilities teams from using them to optimize operations. Here’s how you can clean up the chaos. Key Highlights

  • Data fragmentation and inconsistent documentation hinder AI’s ability to provide accurate insights in facility management.
  • AI enhances operational efficiency by automating data retrieval, surfacing recurring issues, and supporting proactive decision-making.
  • Standardizing data collection—categories, locations, and outcomes—is essential for AI to function effectively and build trust in automated insights.
  • Creating AI-ready facilities involves disciplined workflows, shared digital resources, and clear naming conventions to ensure data quality.
  • Implementing structured digital processes today prepares facility teams to leverage AI for predictive maintenance, compliance, and strategic planning in the future.

Leverage AI to Overcome Data Chaos and Optimize Facility Operations | Buildings

Free E-Book: AI and Building Operations

William Attardi on September 24, 2026

Wondering how artificial intelligence can improve FM workflows? Our new e-book offers practical guidance on where to use AI, what to ask before you buy, and how to keep human judgment in the loop. Artificial intelligence is everywhere, from generative tools like ChatGPT to agentic solutions that manage workflows for you. But when it comes to incorporating AI into the way you manage buildings, it’s hard to know where to begin—and how to avoid paying for a tool that won’t meet your needs. Our guide to AI and FM explores tips for incorporating AI into your current workflows, how to watch for false flags in AI-assisted security operations, and more—so you can feel confident using them to enhance the way you work. Free E-Book: AI and Building Operations | Buildings

Deloitte: Manufacturers Could Use AI to Address Workforce Shortages

William Attardi on September 18, 2026

Artificial intelligence could expand the pool of qualified applicants, reimagine workflows, and supplement on-the-job training, study says.Artificial intelligence (AI) could help manufacturers address persistent workforce shortages by expanding the pool of qualified applicants, reimagining workflows, and supplementing on-the-job training, according to a study from Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute (MI). The study focuses on in-demand manufacturing technician roles and how embedding AI into new workflows could help deliver critical knowledge, skills, and guidance to a wider pool of workers in adjacent fields with similar skillsets. In fact, the analysis identifies nearly 2 million technicians in adjacent industries whose broad skills may be transferable to manufacturing. These workers could represent an important source of talent for manufacturers seeking to broaden pathways into technician roles and strengthen their workforce pipeline, and AI could play a crucial role. Deloitte: Manufacturers could use AI to address workforce shortages | DC Velocity

Congress Pushed to Act Now to Stop Looming Crisis for America’s Electric Grid by Kerry Picket

William Attardi on September 18, 2026

America’s electrical grid is hurtling toward a crisis point, according to the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. The association projects that U.S. electricity demand will surge 55% by 2050, driven largely by the explosive growth of artificial intelligence and data centers. To bolster the electric grid, NEMA is pushing for Congress to pass the Senate’s STRONG Grid Act and Rewiring America Act and the House’s High-Capacity Grid Act. Congress pushed to act now to stop looming crisis for America’s electric grid

Expanding the Skilled Manufacturing Workforce with AI

William Attardi on September 11, 2026

AI could help US manufacturers address one of their most pressing workforce challenges: finding and developing more technicians. US manufacturing is increasingly defined by sophisticated, high-precision products that rely on advanced and interconnected production technologies, automation, and capital-intensive processes. In this new paradigm, multiskilled technicians with expertise across multiple technical domains, such as mechanical, electrical, and control systems, have become crucial enablers of operational success. At the same time, applicant shortages and skills gaps have made it difficult for manufacturers. Artificial intelligence could create a new opportunity to address these challenges. By embedding expertise directly into daily work, AI can help workers, including those with less experience and others transitioning from adjacent industries, develop and apply knowledge and skills in manufacturing roles, thereby broadening the technician talent pool. To explore this opportunity, Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute embarked on a study in May 2026 to map the technician ecosystem across manufacturing and adjacent industries and examine how generative and agentic AI could help reshape technician roles to improve business outcomes and enhance their appeal to current and future workers. The skilled manufacturing workforce and AI | Deloitte Insights

AI in Facilities Management: What Works, What Doesn’t, and Where to Start by Zac Wolf

William Attardi on September 9, 2026

Can artificial intelligence tools actually improve facility management? Yes—if they’re used correctly. Here’s what you need to know about this industry shift. There’s a persistent idea that the endgame for AI is complete autonomy, that the system eventually just runs itself, decisions included. That’s not where this is going, especially in facilities management. We’re not shifting from human to machine. We’re shifting from manual to augmented. Key Highlights

  • Most facilities teams are integrating AI as an enhancement to existing processes rather than replacing their systems entirely.
  • Effective AI use involves focusing on specific workflows with high volume and friction, testing small-scale solutions before expanding.
  • Data quality—accurate location, asset, provider, and work order information—is critical for AI to generate meaningful insights.
  • AI is a powerful assistant that supports human judgment, especially in context-sensitive decisions, rather than an autonomous decision-maker.
  • Layering AI into workflows where breakdowns occur naturally leads to noticeable improvements without complex system overhauls.

AI in Facilities Management: What Works, What Doesn’t, and Where to Start | Buildings

The Creator of Baby Ruth Actually Sued Babe Ruth –The Baby Ruth candy bar was created by the Curtiss Candy Company in 1920 — the same year that baseball legend Babe Ruth hit a then-record 54 home runs. But the Great Bambino was irked that the company was selling a candy bar with such a similar name to his own without offering him any royalties. Rather than take the Curtiss Candy Company to court, the Sultan of Swat decided to make his own candy bar, and in 1926 he debuted Ruth’s Home Run bar. The Curtiss Candy Company responded by turning the tables and taking Ruth to court. They accused the slugger of trying to steal their trademark and capitalize on the success of their brand. In a 1931 deposition, Curtiss founder Otto Schnering insisted the candy was named after “Baby Ruth” Cleveland — the daughter of President Grover Cleveland.  He also attested that the company came up with the name in 1919 before the baseball player had become a household name and that the name was merely coincidental. While the validity of those claims is disputed to this day, the court nonetheless ruled in favor of the candy company, forcing Ruth to end his foray into the world of candy.