WordPress launches its AI team to stay ahead of other CMS platforms

What is the new AI Team working on?

This group is structured similarly to other WordPress core teams (like Performance or Accessibility) and aims to build tools and standards that make AI a native part of the WordPress ecosystem—always respecting its values: openness, tech neutrality, and user control.

Defined focus areas

• Site capabilities abstraction (Features API)
  They are designing a structured way to register a site’s available features (content types, tools, settings), so AI models can recognize and work with them.
• LLM-agnostic client (provider-independent AI)
  Through the AI Services plugin, a layer is being developed to allow interactions with multiple AI models (like OpenAI, Claude, or local solutions) through a single interface, without vendor lock-in.
• Integration via open protocols (MCP)
  They’re creating bridges between WordPress and external AI agents using the Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling automated systems to “understand” site context. Projects in progress: AI-Command and MCP WP.
• Showcase plugin
  A demo plugin is being developed to combine all these tools, test them in real-world scenarios, collect feedback, and improve overall integration.

Why now?

This move isn’t random. Competing platforms such as:

• Wix, which already offers automatic site and content generation using AI.
• Shopify, which uses smart assistants for writing product descriptions or marketing emails.
• Webflow, which is introducing AI-assisted design features.

…are setting the pace for delivering optimized digital experiences through artificial intelligence.

WordPress, with its modular and open-source foundation, is responding with a more flexible, extensible, and community-centered model. The goal is not just to match competitors, but to do so in an open, interoperable way without relying on closed systems.

Team structure

• Slack communication in the #core-ai channel.
• Biweekly open meetings with public agendas.
• Code repositories available on GitHub.
• Collaborative technical decisions through pull requests and community discussion.

Leadership and contributors

The team is led by notable WordPress community figures:

• Jeff Paul – Open Source Director at Fueled.
• Pascal Birchler – Core contributor sponsored by Google.
• Felix Arntz – API designer and creator of the AI Services plugin.
• James LePage – Head of AI at Automattic, previously involved in WPAI and CodeWP.

A strategic evolution

With this initiative, WordPress positions itself to remain competitive among modern AI-powered CMS platforms, but in its own way: through canonical plugins, open collaboration, technical standards, and the possibility of incorporating mature tools into core.

This is more than a technical update—it’s a clear sign that WordPress is adapting to the new digital paradigm without losing its essence: empowering users without locking them into closed platforms.

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