WordPress and the AI-powered web: Why open source still wins

The web is evolving fast. Generative AI is reshaping not just how we interact with technology but how we build it. 

In this rapidly shifting landscape, platforms like WordPress are facing a defining moment. The question is no longer if AI will transform the way websites are built and managed, but how platforms can adapt to stay relevant.

From automated design to intelligent content creation, AI is introducing a wave of innovation. 

But where does WordPress stand in this transformation? And what does the future look like for the world’s most popular content management system?

The open source advantage

Despite competition from sleek, VC-backed site builders like Webflow and Wix, WordPress continues to lead the CMS market, powering over 35.5% of all websites according to the HTTP Archive. 

Why? Because WordPress has something no other platform can match: an open-source, permissionless ecosystem powered by a community of global developers. That makes it uniquely suited to adapt to the evolving web.

In a recent thought piece, technical SEO consultant Jono Alderson explains that while one-click website builders offer “friction-free” setup processes with unmatched convenience, they provide little flexibility for sites that expect to grow and evolve.

Alderson argues that WordPress, which is messy but malleable, remains the safer bet for sites that are likely to require advanced SEO, third-party integrations, multilingual support and other custom features.

I think he’s right.

And as the web evolves, becoming increasingly interconnected and AI-powered, the demand for open, flexible platforms will only grow. In this world, WordPress’s open-source DNA, massive existing user base, and interconnected plugin ecosystem give it a major edge. 

Developers can build rapidly, connect anything, and deploy everywhere. That permissionless innovation is hard to replicate in closed platforms.

That said, there are practical issues that WordPress needs to overcome.

One of the biggest issues threatening the long-term health of the platform is stalled innovation. 

A recent study by Yoast SEO founder Joost de Valk and former CEO Marieke van de Rakt reveals slowed innovation in the WordPress ecosystem, with popular plugins shipping fewer and fewer new features. Due to recent legal matters, core updates have also ground to a halt.

As newer platforms continue to gain traction with sleek marketing campaigns, AI integrations, professional onboarding, and streamlined user experiences, WordPress can’t afford to take its foot off the gas.

To understand what’s at stake for WordPress, we need to look more closely at how fast AI is advancing.

The AI hype cycle

Over the past two decades, artificial intelligence has made rapid progress in language and image recognition. The chart below highlights this, drawing on data from tests that compare human and AI performance across various tasks. This includes handwriting and speech recognition, image identification, reading comprehension, language understanding, and prediction.

In the chart, AI starts well below human-level performance (marked as –100), with human ability set as the 0 benchmark. Once an AI system’s score rises above 0, it means it has outperformed humans in that task.

Even just a decade ago, AI lagged far behind on many skills. But today, in several tests, AI systems are surpassing human capabilities, and continuing to improve at a rapid rate.

But the reality of AI development often differs from the buzz surrounding it. That’s where the AI “Hype Cycle” comes in.

This model, developed by Gartner, helps us make sense of how emerging technologies evolve. It outlines a familiar trajectory: from early innovation, to a surge of excitement and inflated expectations, followed by a dip into disillusionment, before eventually reaching a phase of practical value and widespread adoption.

Right now, generative AI remains in the hype phase. New tools, startups, and use cases are emerging at a dizzying pace. But as the novelty fades and limitations become clear, a period of disillusionment is likely. 

What follows, however, is where the real transformation happens: a shift toward stable, practical applications as AI becomes embedded in everyday business processes. 

According to Gartner, by 2026, generative AI is expected to handle 60% of the design work involved in creating new websites and mobile apps. By 2027, they anticipate that 15% of all new applications will be created entirely by AI, without any human involvement.

How is WordPress responding?

Despite stalled innovation, WordPress is attempting to embrace AI.

First, Automattic released an AI-powered website builder for WordPress.com that lets users generate entire sites using plain-language prompts.

Next, WordPress.org announced the formation of a dedicated AI team focused on building foundational infrastructure for AI integration into the open-source software.

The team’s initial goal is to get the core building blocks in place to enable AI capabilities within WordPress. This includes:

• A provider-agnostic LLM abstraction layer so developers can integrate with various large language models
• A system to register AI-understandable tools and features for WordPress sites
• Support for AI interoperability protocols like MCP, allowing sites to connect with AI agents

It appears the team has already begun work on a simple plugin that turns your WordPress site into an MCP server, exposing functionality to LLMs and AI agents.

While the momentum around AI is exciting, it raises an important question: should WordPress be prioritising AI integration when core features like Gutenberg and Full Site Editing (FSE) are still a work in progress? Phase 3 of the Gutenberg roadmap was originally slated for completion in 2024, yet little progress appears to have been made. 

The challenge ahead

The challenge ahead isn’t just technical, it’s strategic. To stay ahead, WordPress must balance visionary AI adoption with a commitment to perfecting the core, content-first features that underpin its long-term value.

If it gets that balance right, WordPress won’t just survive the AI era, it will play a part in shaping it.