WordPress has officially announced the formation of the new WordPress AI Team. This dedicated group will accelerate and coordinate artificial intelligence projects across the entire WordPress ecosystem, ensuring that the world’s most popular content management platform remains at the forefront of digital innovation.

A Strategic Step for the WordPress Community

The rise of AI is already transforming how people create and manage content online. Recognizing this shift, WordPress is taking a proactive approach to ensure that AI-driven innovation happens transparently, guided by the open-source community’s values, and built to core standards.

Why This Matters

• Unified Direction: The new AI Team will act as a steward for AI development, preventing fragmentation and aligning new projects with WordPress’s long-term vision.
• Collaborative Innovation: With contributors and companies actively exploring AI, the team will serve as a central hub for collaboration, idea-sharing, and joint development.
• Agile Development: Emulating the successful Performance Team model, the AI Team will adopt a plugin-first approach. Canonical Plugins will enable rapid iteration, user feedback, and real-world value delivery without being constrained by the main Core release cycle.

What to Expect from the WordPress AI Team

The newly formed AI Team will:

Coordinate Cross-Team Efforts: Ensure responsible and inclusive exploration of AI-powered features throughout WordPress.

Maintain a Public Roadmap: Publish and regularly update a transparent roadmap of AI initiatives and Canonical Plugins for community input and tracking.

Foster Integration: Work closely with Core, Design, Accessibility, and other teams to guarantee smooth integration and uphold WordPress’s high standards.

Meet the Team: Experienced Leaders at the Helm

The launch team brings together experts in open-source, performance, and product development, all deeply committed to building AI features the “WordPress way.” The initial team contributors include:

• James LePage (Automattic)
• Felix Arntz (Google)
• Pascal Birchler (Google)
• Jeff Paul (10up)

To kick off the initiative, James LePage and Felix Arntz will serve as the first Team Representatives, leading organization, communication, and coordination with other Make WordPress teams.

Looking Ahead: An Exciting New Era for WordPress

This announcement marks a pivotal step in the evolution of WordPress. By establishing a focused AI Team, WordPress is not only embracing the future of content creation but also reaffirming its commitment to open, community-driven innovation. The WordPress community can look forward to rapid advancements, thoughtful integration of AI features, and a collaborative environment where everyone’s voice matters.

Stay tuned for more updates as the WordPress AI Team begins its work, shaping the next generation of digital experiences—together and in the open.