Transform – Tomorrow’s thinking, today: Episode 7
At a glance
Transform is a podcast that explores the cutting-edge developments and breakthroughs that are reshaping our world.
In season two, we’re continuing the conversation – interviewing leaders and visionaries from around the globe on how technologies and innovations are creating new opportunities, challenges and solutions for our lives, communities and businesses.
About this episode
Traditionally risk-averse and slow to adopt emerging technologies, the water sector hasn’t seen the same AI momentum as other industries. In this episode of Transform, we bring the AI-in-water conversation to the forefront - exploring the real-world value AI can deliver and what’s needed for its responsible, ethical integration.
Host Divya Sarin (Senior Manager - Digital Strategy and Innovation at GHD), is joined by Satish Tripathi (Managing Engineer at City of Houston) and Freddie Guerra (Digital Water Market Lead at GHD) to unpack what it takes to build an AI-ready water industry. From predictive maintenance to digital twins, the conversation dives into the practical insights, pilot successes and the cultural shifts needed to unlock AI’s full potential in water management. Together, they discuss:
- Why AI adoption in water is lagging—and what needs to change to move forward
- Real-world success stories, including how the City of Houston uses AI to detect pipe failures before they happen
- The five pillars of AI readiness - strategy, data, infrastructure, people and change management
- What digital twins are, how they work and why they’re transforming water management.