WordPress and AI 2026

Companies that manage WordPress websites may have noticed something unusual in 2026: WordPress seems to be updating constantly. WordPress has planned three major releases this year—7.0, 7.1, and 7.2—an aggressive development schedule for a platform that powers a significant portion of the web. WordPress and AI are engaged for sure in 2026.

So, what is going on? A big part of the answer is artificial intelligence. AI is not killing WordPress. AI has lit a fire under WordPress.

WordPress and AI Security

WordPress dates back to 2003, so it carries more than two decades of code, APIs, backward-compatibility requirements, themes, and, most importantly, an enormous plugin ecosystem. That creates a large attack surface. However, WordPress Core itself is generally not where most WordPress vulnerabilities originate. Plugins and themes, particularly outdated or poorly maintained ones, have historically represented a much larger share of disclosed vulnerabilities.

AI adds another dimension. The same technology that helps developers write and analyze code can also help identify vulnerabilities and automate attacks. WordPress has acknowledged this changing environment and in 2026 launched its "Protect The Shire" initiative to improve security across approximately 78,000 plugins and themes in the WordPress.org ecosystem. AI can also be used defensively to review code and identify potential security issues more quickly.

WordPress has succeeded far beyond expectations since its introduction as an open-source publishing platform in 2003. One of its greatest strengths is its enormous global open-source community. Tens of thousands of developers, testers, security specialists, and other contributors participate in the WordPress ecosystem, while thousands of companies build products and services around it. This community with millions of users constantly tests and improves the platform, allowing WordPress to adapt to major changes in web technology for more than two decades. It could become one of its greatest advantages as it embraces the WordPress and AI challenge. 

WordPress Is Building AI Into the Infrastructure

The bigger story is not that WordPress can add an AI button that writes a blog post. Plenty of software can already do that. WordPress is working more deeply on the technology itself. The relationship between WordPress and AI goes beyond content creation.

WordPress 7.0 introduced an AI Client designed to give plugins a standardized way to communicate with generative AI providers. Instead of every WordPress developer building connections to services such as OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google independently, WordPress is creating common infrastructure that developers can build upon.

Competition Is Getting Stronger

WordPress is not developing in a vacuum. Wix, Squarespace, Shopify and a growing number of website platforms are rapidly adding AI capabilities. A business owner can increasingly describe the website needed and have software create much of the initial site. WordPress, however, remains dominant. According to W3Techs, Wix and Squarespace together account for roughly 10% of the content management system market, compared with approximately 60% for WordPress.

That competition gives WordPress another reason to move faster. Its open-source model also provides an important advantage. Businesses can choose their hosting company, change developers, install specialized software, and continually improve their websites rather than being locked into a single proprietary website platform.

Websites Could Become More Important Because of AI

There is an interesting contradiction developing in digital marketing. Some businesses look at AI and social media and conclude that websites are becoming less important. The opposite may prove to be true.

A company website is no longer valuable only because someone searches Google, clicks a link, and visits a page. Increasingly, information published on websites can also be discovered, interpreted and referenced by AI systems. A well-developed website can contain years' worth of original articles, FAQs, case studies, service information, reviews, photographs, videos, and company expertise. That makes the website both a marketing platform and a growing digital asset. The company website remains an asset the business owns and controls. Read our recent blog about rented audiences and digital assets.

Search Is Changing Along With WordPress

These changes also align with developments in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Traditional SEO focused heavily on getting webpages ranked in Google and earning clicks. That still matters, but consumers can now discover companies through Google Search, AI Overviews, ChatGPT, social media, YouTube, Google Maps and other platforms.

The objective is becoming broader than simply ranking on Google. Companies need authoritative information that search engines, AI systems and consumers can understand and trust. The company website is the logical home for that information, while other digital channels help distribute and amplify it. Read our blog, "Is SEO Dead?"

WordPress Is Getting Ready for Agentic Commerce

WordPress may also be well positioned for agentic commerce, where AI agents can do more than find information—they can interact with websites, compare products and services, schedule appointments, and eventually complete transactions. WordPress is already developing technologies such as the Abilities API and Model Context Protocol, that can allow authorized AI agents to interact with website functions. This opportunity extends beyond e-commerce. An AI agent could interact with a racquet club’s WordPress website to determine court availability, book a court, ask other members to play, and sent out reminders.

What Should Companies With WordPress Websites Do?

The faster pace at WordPress does not mean rebuilding a website or adopting every new AI feature. It does mean paying closer attention to WordPress maintenance.

• Keep WordPress updated, but avoid automatically installing a major release as soon as it becomes available.
• Back up the website before major updates so it can be restored if something goes wrong.
• Check theme and plugin compatibility, particularly before installing a major WordPress release.
• Keep plugins and themes updated, and remove those no longer in use.
• Use a staging website for major changes rather than experimenting on the live website.
• Watch WordPress's AI development, but adopt new AI features when they provide a clear business benefit.

WordPress maintenance is becoming more important, not less.

It's AI Time

Twenty years ago, the important question was whether a business needed a website. Ten years ago, it was whether that website worked properly on a smartphone. Today, the question is increasingly whether a company's website and information can be understood by Google, AI systems, and humans simultaneously.

The future of WordPress and AI will increasingly involve websites built for people, search engines and AI agents. WordPress has to adapt to a world in which humans may no longer be the only visitors interacting with websites. AI assistants and agents will increasingly retrieve information and potentially perform tasks on behalf of people. That explains why WordPress and AI suddenly seems to be moving so quickly.

AI is not making WordPress obsolete. It may be forcing WordPress to evolve into something much more powerful. In other words, WordPress's future is so bright, it may need shades.

A company website should do more than look good. It should be fast, secure, easy to manage, visible in search, and built to generate business. Need a new website—or help getting more from an existing one?

Call Downs Digital Marketing at 303-748-5851.