AEC AI and Tech Strategy Podcast Emerging Technologies in Civil Infrastructure Management – Ep 102
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Feb 18, 2026 
Matt Stahl, AI and infrastructure management leader with a water and wastewater engineering and data science background. He discusses why water utilities are ideal for AI, the rise of computer vision and geospatial ML for inspections and forecasting, the tangible value of predictive maintenance, and leadership that prioritizes problems and practical tech adoption.
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From Biology To Data-Driven Water Work
- Matt traced his career from a biology undergrad to water/wastewater engineering and then into data science.
- He describes data science as the closest thing today to a crystal ball for utilities.
Actionable Data And Single-Source Truth
- Public agencies now demand actionable data that leaders can rely on to make decisions quickly.
- Cloud platforms that synchronize a single master dataset reduce versioning errors and improve stakeholder coordination.
Tiered Data And Predictive Maintenance
- Unlocking multi-tier data (basic immediately, detailed on demand) lets agencies scale inspections without processing overload.
- Predictive maintenance models provide a 'crystal ball' to forecast failures and avoid expensive emergency repairs.