WordPress has established a new group to lead the creation of artificial intelligence products in its developer ecosystem. The initiative brings together talent such as James LePage, who heads AI at Automattic, as well as Google engineers Felix Arntz and Pascal Birchler, and Jeff Paul from 10up.
The move marks a step forward in WordPress AI team’s strategy to steer AI projects that are already being explored by its open source contributors. With its massive influence as a website building platform, WordPress is signaling a stronger interest in coordinating these efforts rather than leaving the direction of AI work to individual developers.
Growing AI Landscape Inside WordPress
The company’s executive director, Mary Hubbard, noted that consolidating leadership in this area helps maintain focus and prevents the community from heading in conflicting directions. She emphasized that having a dedicated group supports thoughtful progress and aligns AI innovation with the broader objectives of WordPress.
To date, developers within the WordPress sphere have released 660 AI plugins for WordPress covering various uses. These include smart tools for making web page templates, improving site searchability, and providing online chatbot support.
The launch of this specialized team highlights the need to both organize and moderate the rush of AI additions to the platform. By shaping these projects under one vision, WordPress aims to drive meaningful advancements while setting consistent standards for future development.
