AI for the Rest of Us  🔗 **Source:** [AI for the Rest of Us](https://openchannels.fm/ai-for-the-rest-of-us/) > [!note]+ Document Notes > > [!info] Generated analysis — not the author's words. Sections below are machine-written > > from the captured source. Only text inside `> [!quote]` blocks is verbatim from the author. > > Do not quote or attribute any other line to the named author. > > > [!warning] Content scope > > Despite the title, this is **not** a discussion of AI — it is a ~7-minute network housekeeping update in which Bob Dunn *announces* a forthcoming series called "AI for the Rest of Us." The series itself has not started (3 episodes were lined up for September). Roughly a third of the runtime is sponsor reads. Sections below are scoped honestly to that reality rather than inflated; several are marked not applicable with reasons. > <!-- deep-read:sections start --> ## 🏷️ Title AI for the Rest of Us — Channel 4, Open Channels FM (episode #787, August 20, 2026) ## 🧭 Table of Contents 1. References 2. Summary 3. Main Content 4. Paraphrase 5. Newsletter 6. Action Items 7. Hypotheses 8. Methodology 9. Questions 10. Future Research 11. Implications 12. Learning Styles Assessment 13. Accessibility Assessment 14. DEIB Assessment 15. Logical Validity 16. DARVO Analysis 17. Conclusion 18. Refactor Appendix 19. Template Library ## 🔗 References (in-page) - Open Channels News (launched end of July 2026, hosted by Robert Jacobi) — @OpenChannelsNews on X, plus YouTube and LinkedIn - Adam Weeks' new (as-yet-unnamed) series on AI and open source - Sponsors: Automattic, InMotion Hosting, Omnisend ## 📝 Summary A short network-update episode from Bob Dunn on Open Channels FM's Channel 4. Four items of substance: (1) **Open Channels News**, launched end of July with Robert Jacobi hosting, dedicated to open source news — August was spent working out technical and hosting issues; it now has a dedicated X profile (@OpenChannelsNews) alongside YouTube and LinkedIn livestreams. (2) **Series changes** — Dunn's "Open Tab" series ended; Adam Weeks started an unnamed series on AI and open source; and Dunn is launching "AI for the Rest of Us." (3) The **premise of the new series**, which is the only genuinely analytical content in the episode: Dunn observes that his audience is developers and makers, and that AI conversation in that world is overwhelmingly about coding — he wants to cover AI's effects in non-coding industries and everyday applications, explicitly including "the good, the bad, and yes, the ugly," with guests from "smaller industries, niches" rather than product pitches. Three episodes were lined up for September, and he issues an open call for participants from under-discussed sectors. (4) **Version 5.0** of Open Channels FM launches in early September, with updates rolled out in smaller segments through the month rather than announced all at once, plus a teased "unique offer" for listener supporters designed to give something back rather than just acknowledge them. Bottom line: valuable primarily as a *signal* — a WordPress-adjacent podcast network deliberately pivoting AI coverage away from developer/coding framing toward non-technical industries — and as a standing invitation Courtney could plausibly answer given her cross-sector position. There is no AI analysis in the episode itself to extract. ## 📖 Main Content ### 🗒️ Notes **Open Channels News status.** Launched end of July 2026, Robert Jacobi hosting, focused specifically on open source news. August was a fine-tuning period for technical and hosting issues on both Dunn's and Jacobi's sides. Now has a dedicated X account (@OpenChannelsNews) in addition to YouTube and LinkedIn livestreams. (Jacobi is the same person who co-hosted the WordCamp US closing keynote with Matt Mullenweg — already covered in this vault.) **Series churn.** "Open Tab" (Dunn's own) ended the prior week. Adam Weeks began a new, not-yet-officially-named series on AI and open source. Dunn is launching "AI for the Rest of Us." **The series premise — the substantive content of the episode.** Dunn's stated reasoning: his network's audience has always been "the makers, the tech people," and the AI conversation there is dominated by coding. His framing question is "what about the rest of us?" — meaning content creators and people outside tech entirely. He commits explicitly to covering downsides, not just adoption stories, and sets a clear editorial boundary: "this is not talking products or services. This is talking about how you feel about AI in maybe a certain industry that we don't always talk about in tech." He also states the value of cross-sector visibility — that it's "good to know what's going on everywhere" from people deep inside particular industries. Three episodes were scheduled for September; series length is deliberately open-ended. **Open call for guests.** Dunn invites listeners from "smaller industries, niches" to come on and share how they feel about AI in their sector — explicitly not a vendor/product forum. **Version 5.0 (early September).** A culmination of work in progress since July. Notable process choice: rather than a single omnibus announcement, Dunn plans to break the updates into smaller segments across September so he can explain each properly instead of just listing them. Also teased: a "unique offer" for listener supporters, designed around what he can give back rather than public acknowledgment alone. **Sponsors.** Automattic, InMotion Hosting, Omnisend — read at both open and close, occupying a meaningful share of a ~7-minute runtime. **Minor metadata inconsistency worth noting:** the page displays episode #787 while the social preview image filename is `episode-877.jpg` — one of these is likely a typo; the episode number should be verified before citing. ## 📚 References First-party network announcement content. No external sources, research, or data cited — appropriate for the format, but it means there is nothing here to verify or fact-check beyond the network's own plans. ## 🗣️ Paraphrase The useful thing here isn't the episode, it's the observation behind the series it announces. Dunn's audience is developers, the AI conversation in developer spaces is almost entirely about coding, and he's noticed that leaves out nearly everyone — including the content creators and non-technical professionals who are being affected by AI just as directly and have far fewer venues to talk about it. That's a real gap, and his editorial rules for filling it are the right ones: no product pitches, explicit permission to discuss harms, and a preference for niche sectors over the usual suspects. Whether the series actually delivers on that is unknowable from an announcement. For this vault, the concrete takeaway is that the invitation is open and Courtney is close to an ideal fit — she sits across WordPress, education, and faith communities, which is precisely the kind of cross-sector vantage the series says it wants and rarely gets. ## 📰 Newsletter **Bob Dunn noticed that when developers talk about AI, they almost only talk about coding — and is starting a series for everyone else.** "AI for the Rest of Us" launches on Open Channels FM in September with three episodes lined up, aimed at AI's effects in non-coding industries and everyday work. His editorial rules are worth noting: not a product showcase, explicitly open to "the good, the bad, and yes, the ugly," and actively seeking guests from smaller industries and niches rather than the usual tech voices. Also in this update: Open Channels News (Robert Jacobi hosting) is past its August shakeout period, and version 5.0 of the network lands in early September — rolled out in small segments rather than one big announcement. If you work in a sector nobody's asking about AI in, he's taking guests. ## ✅ Action Items - **Personal / DevRel:** The open call for guests is a genuine opportunity — Courtney's position across WordPress, education/training, and faith communities is exactly the cross-sector perspective the series says it wants and doesn't usually get. Worth considering a reply. - **Community:** Worth tracking as evidence that WordPress-adjacent media is deliberately broadening AI coverage past the developer frame — a small counterweight to the "AI = coding tools" framing dominant in the WCUS material already in this vault. - **All WordPress subteams (Core, Core AI, Core Performance, Core Program Team, Mobile, Playground, Training, Marketing, Support, Design, Documentation, Photos, TV, Polyglots, Accessibility, Meta, CLI, Hosting, Tide, Openverse, Themes, Plugins, The WPOCC, FAIR):** Not applicable to this source — a podcast network housekeeping update with no technical, governance, or project content. ## 🧪 Hypotheses 1. AI discourse segmented by audience-occupation predicts sentiment: developer-facing AI content skews toward capability and productivity, while non-developer-facing content skews toward displacement and disruption — testable once the series produces episodes. 2. The "no products or services" editorial rule will meaningfully change guest composition versus typical tech-podcast bookings, since vendor-sponsored guests are the default supply in this format. 3. Announcement-only episodes like this one function primarily as guest-recruitment mechanisms rather than as content for listeners — predicted: the series' first episodes will feature guests who responded to this call. ## 📊 Methodology Not applicable to this source — a network update and series announcement, containing no research, data, or analytical claims requiring methodological assessment. ## ❓ Questions - Which three industries were lined up for the September episodes, and did they in fact represent the "smaller industries, niches" the series promises rather than adjacent tech sectors? - Does the "no products or services" rule hold once guests are sourced, given that people willing to appear on podcasts often have something to promote? - Is the episode #787 vs. `episode-877` discrepancy a typo, and which is correct? ## 🔮 Future Research - Follow the actual "AI for the Rest of Us" episodes when they air — those, unlike this announcement, may contain substantive cross-sector AI perspectives worth deep-reading. This episode's value is as a pointer to that future content. ## 💡 Implications - **Practice:** The premise identifies a real gap — non-developer professionals affected by AI have markedly fewer venues to discuss it than developers do. - **Policy / Security / Funding:** Not applicable to this source. - **Education:** The editorial framing (invite people deep in a sector to describe how AI is landing there, without a product agenda) is a reusable model for any community wanting honest cross-sector technology discussion. ## 🧠 Learning Styles Assessment - **Aural:** Strong — native format, conversational, ~7 minutes. - **Verbal:** Moderate — clear spoken structure, though little that rewards close reading. - **Social:** Moderate — explicitly solicits participation. - **Visual / Kinesthetic / Logical / Solitary / Naturalistic:** Weak or not applicable — an audio housekeeping update with no visual, hands-on, analytical, or ecological dimension. Estimated level: general audience, no prerequisites. ## 📊 Accessibility Assessment (WCAG 2.2 AA) - **Perceivable:** Genuinely good — a full text transcript is published alongside the audio, which is better practice than most podcasts and makes the episode accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences. - **Operable:** Standard web audio player with keyboard-accessible controls; multiple platform options (Apple, Spotify, PocketCasts, RSS, YouTube) support varied access needs. - **Understandable:** Plain conversational language, no jargon. - **Robust:** Not assessable from this capture. - **Overall:** The published transcript plus the structured "Takeaways" and "Questions This Episode Answers" sections make this notably more accessible than the podcast norm — worth crediting. ## 🌍 DEIB Assessment - **Cultural breadth:** Not a dimension of this episode, though the series premise (deliberately seeking voices from under-discussed sectors) is inclusion-oriented in intent. - **Inclusive language:** No concerns identified. - **Neurodiversity support:** The site's supplementary structure (takeaways, Q&A, full transcript) supports multiple processing preferences. - **Representation:** The series' explicit goal — centering non-developers in AI conversation — is a representation move within a community where technical voices dominate. - **Psychological safety:** The commitment to "the good, the bad, and yes, the ugly" signals that critical perspectives are welcome, which is not the default posture in sponsor-supported tech media. ## ✅ Logical Validity **Strong reasoning:** Not really applicable — the episode makes announcements rather than arguments. The one reasoned claim (developer-focused AI discourse leaves out non-developers) is plausible and modestly stated. **Fallacies:** None — no argumentative content to assess. **Tone of voice:** Casual, informal, host-to-regular-listener; assumes familiarity with the network's history and prior series. ## 🛡️ DARVO Analysis Not applicable to this source — no conflict, accusation, or defensive framing of any kind. ## 🎯 Conclusion Thin as content, useful as a signal and a pointer. The episode itself is network housekeeping plus sponsor reads; the one durable idea is the observation that AI discourse in developer communities is almost entirely coding-shaped, which leaves the majority of affected people without a venue. Two concrete follow-ups: the actual series episodes (September onward) are where any substantive cross-sector AI perspective will appear and are worth watching for deep-read, and the open guest call is a real opportunity given Courtney's cross-sector position. No Permanent Note is warranted from this source alone — the single claim is real but under-developed here, and would be better captured from an actual series episode that demonstrates it. ## 🧱 Refactor Appendix ### Literature Split Pad (H3) #### Developer-centric AI discourse leaves out most of the people affected by AI > [!quote] ID:rw_atom1 > I work around a lot of developers. I mean, this is what this site has always been, the makers, the tech people, and it's great, but I hear a lot of AI on coding, AI on coding. And AI on coding, which is not a bad thing. There's a lot of interesting things going on, but I'm thinking, what about the rest of us? Where/why: the only genuinely analytical observation in the episode and the premise for the whole series — names a real gap between who AI affects and who gets to talk about it in technical communities. #### Editorial rules that exclude product pitches and permit criticism > [!quote] ID:rw_atom2 > If you're interested in coming on with me, this is not talking products or services. This is talking about how you feel about AI in maybe a certain industry that we don't always talk about in tech. Where/why: an explicit editorial boundary that is unusual in sponsor-supported tech media, and the reason the resulting episodes may be worth following. ### Atomic Split Pad (H4) *0 Permanent Notes warranted.* The one real claim (developer-centric AI discourse under-serves non-developers) is stated but not developed, evidenced, or tested here — it is an announcement's premise, not an argument. Per the resonance filter, this is better captured later from an actual series episode that demonstrates the gap, rather than promoted from a claim that is currently only asserted. Nothing else in the episode clears the bar. ### Fleeting Queue - Watch for the actual "AI for the Rest of Us" episodes (September 2026 onward) — those are the deep-read candidates; this announcement is not. - Consider responding to the open guest call given the cross-sector fit (WordPress + education/training + faith communities). - Verify the episode number (#787 on the page vs. `episode-877` in the image filename) before citing. <!-- deep-read:sections end --> 📄 **Full text:** [[Full Document Contents/Articles/AI for the Rest of Us.md|AI for the Rest of Us by Bob Dunn]] ## Highlights - Myself, I'm going to be starting a new one on AI too. Hey, why not? You know, we're always talking about AI. Mine is going to be — actually, what this episode is titled — AI for the Rest of Us. And to give you a brief introduction to that, I work around a lot of developers. I mean, this is what this site has always been, the makers, the tech people, and it's great, but I hear a lot of AI on coding, AI on coding. And AI on coding, which is not a bad thing. There's a lot of interesting things going on, but I'm thinking, what about the rest of us? You know, some of the creators that we've touched on, content creators, we've touched on other things here and there, but I want to get into some discussions, not only on other pieces of tech, but even outside of tech. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01m0h2rzwqqc20eyxn66p1y14e)) - Tags: atom/literature/h1