Terri Coles
Verified- Writer and Editor, Freelance
- Senior Communications Advisor, Memorial University, Newfoundland and Labrador
Florida
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I will not Jodie Foster this kind of behaviour (she/her) Tech, politics, cats. Human embodiment of lucyinthesnow.gif
Articles by Terri Coles
Shared learning
Over the five years of CITL’s Instructor Series, what began as a modest space for educators to connect has grown into a valuable series that showcases Memorial’s faculty.
AI at work is creating decision debt. Can your organization still explain its own decisions?
For years, enterprises have worried about technical debt, the long-term costs created by taking shortcuts in software development. Now, thanks to the growing prevalence of generative AI applications in the workplace, they have a new kind of debt to worry about: decision debt. According to McKinsey’s 2025 State of AI report, 88% of organizations are using AI in at least one business function, up from 78% just a year ago.
The coming AI governance challenge: controlling what agents do and say
There have been a lot of enterprise AI discussions have focused on content risks like hallucinations, biased outputs, inaccurate information, data leakage, and compliance concerns. But now, the new generation of AI agents is changing the conversation. These agents can perform a variety of business functions with increasingly high levels of success: writing and deploying code, interacting with enterprise systems, approving transactions, triggering workflows, and more.
Why traditional CX metrics fall short with hybrid CX
AI-enabled features and tools play an increasingly common role in modern workplace environments like customer-experience organizations and contact centers. Today, AI might be used to draft email responses, summarize customer-agent interactions, suggest follow-up actions, answer simple customer chat inquiries and identify complex cases for escalation.
Why agentic AI breaks traditional models for enterprise security
Traditional copilots generate suggestions, while modern AI-enabled agentic systems move beyond that to execute actions – and when it comes to assessing the enterprise risks tied to the use of AI agents, that shift in capabilities matters. Today, the true enterprise risk is no longer from only what the agentic AI ‘says.’ Instead, it’s generated by what the AI can do inside of business systems.
Gen AI is creating work. Who owns the results?
An online meeting’s audio is used to automatically generate a transcription of the discussion, thanks to an included AI-powered feature. That transcription also becomes the basis for a summary of the meeting and is used to generate action items, which are sent to each attendee. As with any meeting, tasks are assigned, and decisions are documented. The difference is that AI is now behind much of those task flows. Who owns those meeting outcomes from the AI-generated output?
AI is raising the stakes on UC vendor lock-in
IT leaders have long been familiar with the pain that can come from SaaS lock-in. Becoming too dependent on a single provider can make it expensive and operationally frustrating to make a change, leading to issues with contracts, software integrations, and data migrations. Now, AI is changing the calculations. For tech executives and the organizations they work for, avoiding lock-in is no longer only about where your data lives — it’s also about how your work gets done.
AI can summarize meetings — but it's on attendees to finish the job
As unified communication platforms continue to incorporate AI-enabled features like meeting transcription, auto-generated summaries, and automated action items, more workplaces are taking advantage of these tools for their expected productivity gains. However, while many teams now have access to these tools, not all of them are seeing meaningful impacts from adding them into their workflows.
Your AI is only as good as your data
When designed and deployed strategically, AI agents can boost workplace productivity and efficiency. However, like all technology, mistakes can happen – for example, a customer-facing bot might pull the wrong product info based on a prompt, or an AI assistant could provide outdated policy or compliance advice. Sometimes errors like these are due to incomplete or confusing prompts from users. In other cases, they might be related to problems with or limitations of the AI model behind the agent.
How to respond when shadow AI leaks company knowledge
An employee uses an unauthorized AI-enabled meeting summarizer app that stores the data it generates off-site, then pastes the transcript into a browser-based AI assistant to generate a summary of the conversation. This is common, and may even seem harmless – until weeks later, when their organization realizes internal knowledge might exist in a third-party model.
Governance lags as shadow AI reshapes collaboration workflows
Sometimes shadow AI announces itself. You join a meeting and notice a guest you don’t remember inviting: an unfamiliar bot that transcribes and summarizes the call. Other times it’s less visible. A sales rep pastes a meeting transcript into an external AI assistant, or a project team uses a browser copilot to summarize Slack threads.
The hidden risks of unclear AI-generated data ownership in UC
In modern workplaces, unified communications platforms offer an expanding array of generative AI features. Many are automatically enabled: AI note-takers turned on by default, meeting summaries distributed to all attendees, and call recordings that feed into platform model improvement. These features generate a lot of data, and many organizations assume that data belongs to them.
Invisible AI: Why the next phase of UC adoption may be quieter
As AI-enabled features keep expanding across enterprise unified communications platforms, employee fatigue around the tech is also rising. Some IT leaders report uneven adoption of copilots and branded assistants that place their AI-enabled capabilities at the forefront. The solution for AI adoption isn’t to retreat from an emerging technology. Instead, it may be to make that tech less visible.
Hidden bias in AI agent personas
As more enterprise vendors launch named, human-like AI agents, their personae often map – intentionally or not – onto gendered, racialized, or culturally coded identities. These design choices can feel harmless, even helpful, but they can mirror and reinforce long-standing workplace stereotypes that can be counterproductive, even offensive. As enterprise AI agents proliferate, persona design is quietly shaping and reinforcing perceptions of competence, trust, and authority.
Humanized AI agents lower barriers to regular use
An enterprise employee is greeted by ‘Vikram’ as he loads an internal portal to create an IT ticket. Or a new hire’s guide in its HR portal is introduced as ‘Jenny.’ Names for virtual AI agents are nothing new – Apple’s Siri has been around for nearly 16 years, and Amazon’s Alexa for 11. But modern enterprise agents go further by presenting as human-like colleagues, complete with personalities, voices, and sometimes avatars.
Explore, apply, reflect
Many students enter the workforce with strong academic accomplishments, but less experience articulating their transferable skills that employers value. FUSION, a national skills-development initiative, aims to close that gap. The Future Skills Innovation Network (FUSION) provides students at its five partnering universities, including Memorial University, access to a series of self-contained learning modules.
Even as AI transcription leaps forward, pitfalls remain
Picture this: at an industry conference, auto-captioning is turned on for the keynote speaker’s presentation – and mangles their words so badly that an executive with a hearing impairment can’t follow along. Or the auto-transcription software used for a hiring video misrenders the answers given by a candidate with accented English.
Personal AI assistants present data risks
There has been no shortage of AI-related enterprise stories this year, but the increasing adoption of AI workplace assistants across enterprise collaboration platforms is among the most impactful. As assistants like Copilot, Gemini, and Zoom AI Companion become more commonplace in the workplace, there’s a need to adjust policies to reflect the increasing – and increasingly personal – data resulting from their use.
Companies challenged by incorporating AI into workflows
Enterprise AI use is expanding at a rapid clip, with 95% of businesses planning to up their AI use in the next two years, according to Microsoft’s most recent State of AI Infrastructure report. As the growing number of AI-enabled tools become part of everyday workflows for many workers, some companies may consider investing in on-premise AI infrastructure. Desk workers are using both in-house and outside AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot with increasing regularity.
Successful AI integration requires clear roles
Many CEOs believe that artificial intelligence will play a central role in their business operations in the new future, if it doesn’t already. And some of those leaders are going all-in on incorporating ‘digital employees’ – in the form of AI agents, generative AI, AI-enabled applications, and more – into their existing human workflows. But what makes this kind of human-AI integration, or even handoff, work in practice? Successful AI integration into workflows goes beyond automation.
Know the Benefits, Risks & Best Practices for AI Agents
Over a decade of MFStrategies’ work with political candidates and causes, donor research has become a major bottleneck. The work involves finding contact information for potential donors, then creating short bios to facilitate conversations. “It is just a very labor and time-intensive task and, until very recently there really wasn't a way around that,” said Marty Santalucia, CEO of the political consulting firm.
Balancing Convenience & Risk for AI-Enabled Collab
As generative artificial intelligence becomes more heavily integrated into the tech we use each day, collaborative workplace platforms are incorporating AI-enabled features into their offerings. Zoom calls can be automatically transcribed, emails sent through Microsoft Outlook can be composed using predictive text, and Slack users can stay on top of their conversations through automated daily summaries.
How to Adapt Data Management Policies Collab Workspaces
Collaborative platforms like Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Zoom have become the shared collective workspaces of modern workplaces. But the benefits these platforms offer in new ways to work together come with a downside: the enormous amount of data they generate. “I've noticed a fundamental shift in the nature and speed of internal communication post-COVID, especially in message volume and asynchronous collaboration,” said Rohit Agarwal, co-founder of remote hiring company Zenius.co.
Workers' Use of Shadow AI Presents Compliance, Reputational Risks
Amid the growing adoption of AI tools, a new problem is emerging – when employers don’t provide sanctioned AI tools, many workers will use the ones they prefer anyway. In sectors like healthcare, manufacturing, and financial services, the use of so-called shadow AI tools in the workplace surged more than 200% year over year, according to CX Trends 2025 from Zendesk.
AI Isn’t Replacing Meetings-It’s Redefining Them
The average U.S. worker now spends 14.8 hours a week in meetings. That’s down from 21.5 hours in 2021, according to a 2024 Reclaim.ai survey, but still adds up to nearly two full workdays across 17.1 meetings weekly. Given those numbers, it’s easy to see why meetings remain a productivity pain point for many workers. Nearly two-thirds of executives said at least half their decision-making time—mostly spent in meetings—was ineffective, according to McKinsey.
Terri Coles | No Jitter
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Worshippers mark 100 years of the United Church in a colourful official service
Sunday, June 8 was rainy after an usually sunny week in St. John’s, N.L.; locals semi-affectionately refer to this month as “June-uary.” But the skies cleared shortly before the start of Gower Street United’s special evening service for The United Church of Canada’s centennial, allowing clergy attending from near and far to greet worshippers outside as they arrived.
Inspiring, learning, innovating
Memorial University is not new to innovation in teaching and learning, boasting and running April 30-May 1 will celebrate that history and focus on the evolving present and future of post-secondary education. This year’s external keynote speaker, Dr. Sarah Eaton of the University of Calgary, is a leading scholar on academic integrity.
'Always something to learn'
A member of Memorial’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences has been recognized for her leadership in teaching. Dr. Janna Rosales, associate professor (teaching), is one of two recipients of the Association of Atlantic Universities Distinguished Teaching Award for 2024. The annual award recognizes excellence in university teaching over several years, particularly at the undergraduate level. The association represents 16 universities in Atlantic Canada, including Memorial University.
Customer service navigates slippery transition into AI-powered future
Open this photo in gallery: AI has the potential to streamline customer service. But are companies, and customers, ready for it?Getty Images Please log in to bookmark this story.Log InCreate Free Account Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are improving, and companies of all sizes are beginning to incorporate them into their operations. Customer service is no exception. AI can reduce service costs and increase response rates for companies.
When the Olympics leave town, which venues survive?
Open this photo in gallery: Canada’s three Olympic games each have wildly different reputations. City planners say committing to hosting must come with recognition of a building’s future uses.Getty Images Please log in to bookmark this story.Log InCreate Free Account When cities commit to hosting the Olympics, they also commit to a huge construction bill. With price tags that often hit billions of dollars, it’s up to cities to make this worth it.
Creating momentum
Plans are ramping up for Memorial University’s inaugural International Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDI-AR) Conference. The event will take place on Tuesday, May 14, at the Signal Hill Campus in St. John’s. Conference submissions are now open for interested presenters, who can participate in person in St. John’s this spring or online. Registration is open for in-person and virtual attendees of the conference, which is being hosted by Memorial’s Office of the Vice-Provost, EDI-AR.
Legacies and contributions
February will be busy at Memorial with a full slate of events for African History and Liberation Month. The Office of the Vice-Provost, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism plans to mark the month — also known as Black History and Liberation Month — with a keynote address by an invited scholar, a musical celebration and a series of career-focused events for students.
Mistakes Everyone Makes When Using A Chafing Dish
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Mistakes Everyone Makes When Using A Chafing Dish Original
By Terri Coles/Dec. 24, 2023 1:30 pm EST If you own a chafing dish –- a serving tray designed to keep prepared food hot -– you likely only break it out for big group meals. And if you're like many people, you probably serve a few big meals during the fall and winter holidays. But while using a chafing dish might seem simple, there are a lot of ways it can go wrong. The risks of a serving mishap can be a lot more serious than cold mashed potatoes, and might include food-borne illnesses.
What You're Really Eating When You Order White Castle Fish Sliders
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What You're Really Eating When You Order White Castle Fish Sliders
By Terri Coles/Dec. 4, 2023 1:30 pm EST White Castle first introduced its fish slider in 2020, adding a seafood option to the menu for its fish-loving and pescatarian fans who can now enjoy the once-seasonal slider year round. The fish slider — also known by its government name, White Castle Panko Breaded Fish Slider — was first introduced as a limited-time item but is now on the regular menu.
What You're Really Eating When You Order White Castle Fish Sliders
White Castle first introduced its fish slider in 2020, adding a seafood option to the menu for its fish-loving and pescatarian fans who can now enjoy the once-seasonal slider year round. The fish slider — also known by its government name, White Castle Panko Breaded Fish Slider — was first introduced as a limited-time item but is now on the regular menu.
What You're Really Eating When You Order White Castle Fish Sliders
White Castle first introduced its fish slider in 2020, adding a seafood option to the menu for its fish-loving and pescatarian fans who can now enjoy the once-seasonal slider year round. The fish slider — also known by its government name, White Castle Panko Breaded Fish Slider — was first introduced as a limited-time item but is now on the regular menu.
What You're Really Eating When You Order White Castle Fish Sliders
White Castle first introduced its fish slider in 2020, adding a seafood option to the menu for its fish-loving and pescatarian fans who can now enjoy the once-seasonal slider year round. The fish slider — also known by its government name, White Castle Panko Breaded Fish Slider — was first introduced as a limited-time item but is now on the regular menu.
What You're Really Eating When You Order White Castle Fish Sliders
White Castle first introduced its fish slider in 2020, adding a seafood option to the menu for its fish-loving and pescatarian fans who can now enjoy the once-seasonal slider year round. The fish slider — also known by its government name, White Castle Panko Breaded Fish Slider — was first introduced as a limited-time item but is now on the regular menu.
What You're Really Eating When You Order White Castle Fish Sliders
White Castle fish slider - White Castle White Castle first introduced its fish slider in 2020, adding a seafood option to the menu for its fish-loving and pescatarian fans who can now enjoy the once-seasonal slider year round. The fish slider — also known by its government name, White Castle Panko Breaded Fish Slider — was first introduced as a limited-time item but is now on the regular menu.
Expressions of interest
Memorial University will host the inaugural International Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDI-AR) Conference this spring. The event will run May 14-15 in St. John’s and will be hosted by the Office of the Vice-Provost, EDI-AR. The conference will showcase ongoing institutional and structural actions that address and foster justice, reconciliation, anti-racism, inclusivity and equity in academic, not-for-profit and professional communities locally and internationally.
Community engagement
The Office of the Vice-Provost, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism has completed a significant stage of its work towards creating Memorial’s first EDI-AR strategic plan. The office closed the first phase of its consultation process in June 2023. In addition, recent hiring for several key roles in the portfolio is moving other priorities forward, says Dr. Delores V. Mullings, vice-provost, equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism.
Public consultations
One of Dr. Delores V. Mullings’ goals is to help make Memorial University become an EDI-AR “giant.” The university is in its infancy for EDI-AR, says Memorial’s vice-provost, equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism. She sees it as a great opportunity for the university to both learn from more established institutions and be a leader charting new territories for others to embrace.
Drone technology is finding unlikely uses across sectors
Sunda pangolins are odd-looking creatures, with long tongues and bodies covered in scales. These housecat-sized animals are critically endangered: poached and sold on the black market for traditional medicinal ingredients. Save Vietnam’s Wildlife, a non-profit conservation organization, has been working for years to rescue and rehabilitate them.
Why the blockchain still has a future, despite its past
In 2017, Katherine Pinkard met an MBA student at a conference who said she wanted to work for a blockchain team at a big bank on Wall Street. After their chat at the Johns Hopkins University event, where Ms. Pinkard was a keynote speaker, she googled “what is blockchain?” Reading up on the emerging technology, the president of commercial real-estate firm Pinkard Properties quickly saw its business potential.
Why Web 3.0 represents the future for businesses, despite challenges
Web 3.0 has been heralded as the next evolution of the Internet – one that will make the web more immersive and democratic, thanks to a foundation of blockchain technology. Recent layoffs at Meta and the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX have raised questions about viability and credibility in an emerging space.
Expanding Tech Capacity to Meet Telehealth Demand
After a pandemic-induced surge, telemedicine services and healthcare providers are shifting from meeting increased demand for telemedicine tech to ensuring its successful integration at all points in the virtual care continuum. “This really was a kickstart,” Brian Wayling, executive director of telehealth services at Intermountain Healthcare, said of the pandemic.
Telehealth's Future Depends on Better Workplace Policies for Staff
As COVID-19 moves closer to becoming endemic, telehealth service providers are tackling staffing challenges as telehealth patient demand normalizes and the industry continues to mature. Some of those challenges – including worker burnout and skills gaps – are felt across many economic sectors. But the telemedicine industry faced additional challenges due to the especially acute demand placed on its services as soon as the pandemic began.
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