On May 28, WordPress announced that it had officially created a new team to guide the development of artificial intelligence tools within its developer community. This move comes as interest in AI tools grows among those who use WordPress to build and manage websites.
The new team comprises experienced developers and leaders in the field. James LePage, who leads AI at Automattic (WordPress’ parent company), will head the group. He is joined by Felix Arntz and Pascal Birchler, both from Google and Jeff Paul, Director of Open Source at web design company 10up.
WordPress, known for powering over 40% of websites on the internet, has already seen hundreds of developers create AI plug-ins over the past few years. With this new team in place, the company is taking a more focused approach to building and sharing AI tools across the platform.
“A unified team stewards AI development thoughtfully, avoids fragmentation, and ensures alignment with the long-term goals of WordPress,” said Mary Hubbard, executive director at WordPress, in an official blog post.
AI tools are already popular in the WordPress community
If you’re a developer or run a website, you may have noticed that AI is already a part of the WordPress ecosystem. So far, developers have released around 660 AI plug-ins, ranging from smart chatbots to AI-assisted SEO tools and layout builders. Some plug-ins help you write content, while others support design tasks or improve search rankings.
Despite these tools’ popularity, development efforts have been scattered until now. Different teams have worked on similar solutions with no single strategy or direction. The new AI team hopes to bring structure to the process so that tools are better supported, easier to use, and more aligned with WordPress’s overall goals.
With the team in place, you can expect more collaboration between developers, better tools, and precise guidance on using AI responsibly and effectively within the WordPress platform.
A future shaped by thoughtful AI innovation
WordPress’ decision to create this team shows that it sees AI not just as a trend but as a major part of the platform’s future. Instead of leaving innovation to chance, WordPress wants to ensure that new tools are built with care and fit well within the open-source environment it supports.
By involving experts from companies like Google and Automattic, the platform is showing a strong commitment to building high-quality tools that meet the needs of a wide range of users. Whether you’re running a small blog or a large online shop, these improvements could soon help you manage your site more easily with AI.
If you already use AI tools on your WordPress site, now is a good time to stay updated. With a focused team behind these efforts, new features and better support are likely around the corner.
