annezazu 5:46 pm on May 2, 2023
Tags: artificial intelligence, core ( 612 ), core-editor ( 720 ), discussion

Let’s talk: WordPress Core & Artificial Intelligence

WordPress CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. always seeks to provide a stable foundation for folks to build upon directly and extend as they see fit. Even if a new technology is not actually included in Core, the project aims to enable innovation and progress through extension (plugins, themes, etc.) wherever possible and sensible.

Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) technology has made huge strides in recent years, with the potential to revolutionize how humans build and interact with websites, companies, and individuals. As the WordPress community dives into the world of AI, the responsibility and role the Core WordPress software has in this journey has come into question. This post attempts to build clarity around how Core aims to function during this evolving time, while encouraging folks to share what would be helpful for them to integrate AI into the experiences they seek to create with WordPress.

WordPress blocks describe both content and layout; since many of the recent AI strides come in the form of large language models (LLMs), having a common “language” of blocks can be an incredibly powerful way to bridge the communication between AI technologies, developers, and users alike. With the right foundation in place, developers will be able to integrate AI into their plugins and themes, making it easier than ever to create intelligent and personalized experiences for WordPress users.

In some cases, it’s a matter of using what’s already in place, like well-defined and structured blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. markup, while in other cases, it might be new extendable entry points or even integrating small built-in AI models, for example to better learn user preferences that don’t require third party integration. The impact extends to anyone using WordPress with AI, expanding the ways users can interact and modify software and keeping open sourceOpen Source Open Source denotes software for which the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified. Open Source **must be** delivered via a licensing model, see GPL. even more relevant in today’s world. For example, imagine building a pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party that extends the in-progress command center that allows someone to describe to an AI-powered interface what they want to see built:

An imaginary video of what might one day be possible

As this work rapidly evolves and folks begin exploring, let’s use this post as a gathering point for early feedback, ideas, and questions. To focus the discussion, here are some questions to consider:

How would you want to see Core updated so it can be extended in ways accessible to AI technologies?
For those building, or trying to build, with AI today, how does Core currently enable or hinder this effort?
Are there any concerns that you think the community should be aware of as this space is explored?

Please share your thoughts below and let’s discuss this as a broader community. After a few weeks, I’ll do my best to summarize what’s come out of this discussion for future reference for the community. If you’re interested in working on this and shaping how 43% of the internet interacts with AI, join #core and #core-editor as any exploratory work will start from either avenue.

Props @jeffpaul, @desrosj, @matveb, @priethor, @richtabor, @mcsf, @andraganescu for helping with the content of this post and @jameskoster for the video exploring a futuristic look at what could be possible.

#artificial-intelligence, #discussion

Matt Cromwell 7:11 pm on May 2, 2023

Conversations like this in the past often revolved around how we define “CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress.” versus “pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party territory”. This gets a little more muddy now that full site editing is maturing and design layouts are becoming more and more important to Core. But generally speaking, being that all AI options currently require integration with a 3rd party system, some sort of pricing and authentication, this feels to me to clearly be plugin territory.

The other concern here is that the current Core roadmap is very full. At what cost would the project chase an AI integration? At the expense of multi-editing collaboration features? At the expense of multi-lingual features? I find it hard to imagine pursuing the current roadmap with excellence and stability AND adding a huge AI integration as well.

It’s a fun exercise to dream about what an AI-powered WordPress would look like, but at this infancy-stage of AI I think it’s better to let the plugin ecosystem do the innovating so that Core can focus on its more foundational features that need improving and stick to the roadmap that many users are looking forward to.
- slickremix 9:10 pm on May 2, 2023
  
  I would agree, very well said Matt.
  Spencer
- annezazu 9:42 pm on May 2, 2023
  
  Thanks, Matt, for sharing some initial thoughts! Consider them noted for the recap in a few weeks. If you’re up for it, I’d love to hear what you think CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. can do to set up plugins for success here and how Core can learn from where plugins explore. I imagine this will be an evolving topic.
- Jonathan Desrosiers 1:02 pm on May 3, 2023
  
  Even if a new technology is not actually included in CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress., the project aims to enable innovation and progress through extension
  
  As a reviewer of this post, it was important to me that this post did not say Core will tackle AI, but instead my hope was this would fuel discussion around what AI looks like in the WordPress ecosystem and how that may be blocked currently. The above sentence was added on my suggestion with the hopes to clarify that.
  
  From there, we can more clearly identify where the lines are between Core and pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party territory before stepping back and determining what the priorities are and how they improve user experience.
  
  As you said, the roadmap is definitely full and adding new things should not be done unless there are extremely compelling reasons. But, if there are small “paper cut” changes that can be made in Core (new filterFilter Filters are one of the two types of Hooks https://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API/Hooks. They provide a way for functions to modify data of other functions. They are the counterpart to Actions. Unlike Actions, filters are meant to work in an isolated manner, and should never have side effects such as affecting global variables and output. or action hooksHooks In WordPress theme and development, hooks are functions that can be applied to an action or a Filter in WordPress. Actions are functions performed when a certain event occurs in WordPress. Filters allow you to modify certain functions. Arguments used to hook both filters and actions look the same., etc.) to allow plugins to better experiment and flesh out AI integrations in the WordPress world, I think that we certainly should consider these.
  - Matt Cromwell 9:02 am on May 8, 2023
    
    @desrosj — Thanks for the clarification of the motivations of the post. That makes a lot of sense.
    One thing that comes to mind that I’ve longed for CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. to address that is not unique to AI at all, but endemic of having to integration with 3rd party platforms in general, is having a central APIAPI An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways. keys settings page.
    
    For example: Many plugins and themes have different uses for different Google APIs. When each of them are all requiring you to enter your API key to use their integrations it gets tedious and even leads to conflicts.
    
    If Core had a settings panel that could be leveraged for integrating with various APIs, even Payment Gateways and of course OpenAI API keys, it would help prevent conflicts and streamline the use of these APIs across multiple plugins and/or a theme.
    - Jonathan Desrosiers 2:17 pm on May 8, 2023
      
      One thing that comes to mind that I’ve longed for CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. to address that is not unique to AI at all, but endemic of having to integration with 3rd party platforms in general, is having a central APIAPI An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways. keys settings page.
      
      Don’t disagree with this at all, but tangentially related to this proposal at best. This would need some planning and likely to be built out as a feature pluginFeature Plugin A plugin that was created with the intention of eventually being proposed for inclusion in WordPress Core. See Features as Plugins. first.
      
      The first thing that came to mind for me is the application passwords feature added in 5.6. If there was an overall screen that showed all user application passwords on a site, this would probably fit really nicely as a separate section.
      
      Turns out that screen was never created and application passwords are still only shown when editing each individual user page. #51942 seems to be suggesting a central overview page.
- margolisj 3:53 pm on May 3, 2023
  
  Incredibly well said Matt. While I may have some concerns about the priority given to this AI post and the Command Center UIUI User interface, I can understand the appeal of working on cutting edge technology. Who is the Command Center UI for and what percentage of users might use it? There are a huge number of missing features in the BlockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. Editor that developers regularly expect since they’ve been default with external Block Editors for a decade. I feel that it’s much more important to address other issues and development experience with the Block Editor.
  
  I’m curious to know more about the decision-making process at Automatic and the factors that determine work priorities such as this, while issues raised by the external community continue to be seemingly unheard.
OllieJones 7:29 pm on May 2, 2023

If the “canonical pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party” conversation ever goes anywhere, it seems to me that this conversation will become about prioritizing and implementing one or more of them to support APIs and blocks specific to AI. I’d love to see that happen, as coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. gets heavier as all successful software does.

And. HERE’S the AI feature I want to see: Feed tracebacks and error messages to the AI, then say “Hey AI, what went wrong here? Suggest some ways to fix the problem.” If this worked even minimally in the “what went wrong” question, WordPress people will love it.
robglidden 12:46 am on May 3, 2023

I would suggest looking at AI chatbots as (“just another”) user type in the upcoming Phase 3 of collaboration/workflow.

I for one want an AI chatbot on my multiuser collaboration team in a phase 3 WordPress.

In the multiuser collaborative workflows already described in “Phase 3 Collaboration” it seems like basically the same infrastructure should work for both human users and AI “users”.

Indeed, it is not a huge stretch in reading that document to think of “users”, “collaborators”, and “creators” as also being bot-ish users, assigned and performing tasks within a workflow:

“fostering seamless collaboration … to improve the way creators and teams work together within WordPress”

“provide all the necessary infrastructure and UIUI User interface to handle multiple users working together on the same content simultaneously, making it easier to create, edit, and customize web pages and posts as a team”

“draft sharing for content and design changes, inline blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. commenting, review assignments, improved version controlversion control A version control system keeps track of the source code and revisions to the source code. WordPress uses Subversion (SVN) for version control, with Git mirrors for most repositories., and task management”

“enable users and larger teams to collaborate on projects and its different parts at their own pace and based on their workflows”

“editorial requirements, customized goals (accomplish certain number of words or images), task completion prerequisites”
- Jonathan Desrosiers 2:18 pm on May 8, 2023
  
  I would suggest looking at AI chatbots as (“just another”) user type in the upcoming Phase 3 of collaboration/workflow.
  
  This is an interesting approach I had not yet considered in the context of WordPress. Thanks for pointing this one out!
James LePage 2:30 am on May 3, 2023

I love that WordPress is getting ahead of AI, instead of getting left behind. With that said, I don’t really see the need for CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. to do anything specific to AI.

It seems like solid pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party territory to me; 1 – AI will always require compute, meaning 3rd party services, and I think that already moves it out of the core scope and 2 – we don’t really need anything special to integrate AI.

I’m the founder of one of the only AI SaaS offerings for WP, and we’re building a plugin to help integrate our service with individual sites. We’re also collaborating with existing code snippet plugins. There’s nothing that we really need from Core to help with this plugin, and we can add all of the features we need by leveraging existing features / functions.

As some others said here, as a WP user, I’d much prefer a really strong focus on the existing Phase 3 roadmap items as I think it would make our CMS a lot more valuable and competitive to other tools out there, as opposed to integrating AI somehow.

One other thing is that there aren’t really any standards here. There are large players, but they keep changing the way their AI works, and probably will continue to do so. We’d be trying to hit a moving target.

There’s definitely a lot of value to add to WordPress when it comes to AI. Because of that, there will be (and already are) great, plugin/3rd party offerings for content, code, etc… I don’t really see why/how Core could do it better.
- pingram 3:26 pm on May 8, 2023
  
  Well said James. My concern always leans towards who is making the decision, the site owner, the community, or the community leaders and who does it serve. While the current landscape of machine learning is still very exciting and seemingly benign, I personally will always favor site owners choosing for themselves what 3rd party entities they want to invite into their websites and potentially expose their visitors to, some believe there is enough of this already. Automattic can reach into any website and take control unless measures are taken to cripple this, not suggesting this would happen just exposing the gears are indeed in place that could cull a large portion of the web if ever that were justified in some fashion. In this respect, I always try to put individual choice above the community or myself being forceful on others. It’s not popular to be an individualist these days but I think site owners should make this decision.
ravisoniets 4:08 am on May 9, 2023

#opinion: imagine a WordPress personal AI assistant for businesses is an exciting prospect that could provide significant benefits for users. Some key features and considerations for such an assistant:

Workflow Management: The AI assistant could help manage business workflows by streamlining task assignments, tracking deadlines, and prioritizing activities. It could also automate routine tasks and processes, such as content scheduling and social media posting.

Learning from Business Data: By analyzing business data, the AI assistant could provide insights and recommendations for website improvements, content optimization, and user engagement strategies. This would allow users to make data-driven decisions to grow their business.

APIAPI An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways. Connectivity: Allowing the AI assistant to connect with various AI models and services via APIs would enable users to customize the assistant’s capabilities according to their specific needs. This could range from natural language processing for content generation to machine learning algorithms for customer segmentation.

Integration with WordPress Ecosystem: The AI assistant should be compatible with popular WordPress plugins, themes, and tools to ensure seamless integration and enhance the overall user experience.
Ryan McCue 12:52 pm on May 10, 2023

I’ve been working pretty extensively on adding AI functionality into WordPress and GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/ (you may have seen some demos courtesy of Joe Hoyle), so I have some opinions on this.

Like others, I imagine this is pretty likely to remain in pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party territory for the foreseeable future, as until and unless AI models are fast enough to be able to run on the same server we’ll need external (paid) services. (We’re still early days in working out how it can be productively applied to real-world workflows too, which is a large amount of the work we’re doing right now at HM.)

Given that, the best possible thing that WordPress can do to support both AI as well as other types of innovation is offering the foundation you mention which the ecosystem can build atop. This has proven to be a successful approach and is what has driven most of the growth on the platform.

I’m disappointed to say that right now, Gutenberg in particular is not in that state. I’ve been working with WordPress for 18/19 years, and the current blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. editor is definitely one of the least flexible and extensibleExtensible This is the ability to add additional functionality to the code. Plugins extend the WordPress core software. parts of WordPress we’ve had since plugins were introduced. Implementing anything right now is way more painful than it should be, and there are clear points within Gutenberg’s design, architecture, and implementation that make it clear that pluggability is not a first-class consideration.

I want to offer some constructive choices that would immediately improve this.

Firstly, Gutenberg should use its own extension system for much more than it does, placing its internals on an equal footing with plugins. As a specific example, making the Post settings sidebarSidebar A sidebar in WordPress is referred to a widget-ready area used by WordPress themes to display information that is not a part of the main content. It is not always a vertical column on the side. It can be a horizontal rectangle below or above the content area, footer, header, or any where in the theme. effectively just a Slot with all coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. UIUI User interface implemented via Fills would make augmenting or replacing the UI with new capabilities much easier. (This pattern repeats across the entire codebase.) Going further, functionality could be developed in an explicitly decoupled way within Gutenberg, with the core being lightweight. Embracing this design pattern would mean a much strong plugin APIAPI An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways. for everyone.

Secondly, exposing more of the internals where possible, and committing to their APIs. Right now, integrating components in a way that fits natively with the user experience requires either extensive use of `__experimental` APIs or, in many cases, copy-and-pasting components wholesale. (Opinion: WordPress should not ship stable versions with `__experimental` APIs at all, using those only within Gutenberg’s development.) Developing parts of Gutenberg using the aforementioned decoupled approach would create natural motivation to expose useful reusable components.

Thirdly, documenting the APIs and components that are exposed with both reference and guidance material. While there’s a decent number of APIs and components already exposed, many of them are either undocumented or very poorly documented; when developing, it’s more effective to ignore the documentation and go straight to the source code. As a developer, I want to be spending my time working on the innovative part I’m trying to build (integrating AI), not working out the plumbing of the UI and behaviour.

AI is either a permanent trend or a fad, depending on who you ask, and will either become a regular part of our workflows or the hype will fade away. What definitely won’t fade away is the desire for WordPress to adapt to new trends that come along, and a strong extensibility story is key to any future success.
- Dovid Levine 8:30 pm on May 11, 2023
  
  So much this. The dev community has been clamoring for abetter DX for the Editor since it first dropped, and it comes up again and again in the feedback every single time leadership wants to move on to a new #nocode feature or Phase. And all we have to show for it is a soft commitment to cut back on the `__experimental` APIs, and the starts of a style engine.
  
  If there’s one takeaway from the AI race (and tbh a decade + of WordPress), it’s that the best innovation comes from users. It’s why Stable Diffusion beat Dall-E, auto-gpt is the fastest growing AI repo, and WordPress won the internet.
  
  The push to add additional no-code features with the state of the current DX has already limited most GB innovation to the companies who sponsor the coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. developers working on those features (you don’t need decent docs if you wrote the code), and trying to tack AI onto that just doubles down on the same issue.
  
  As a reminder WP’s own annual survey found half of users still avoid using the BlockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. Editor, and of those who do 1/3 find the current implementation to be their biggest issue with WordPress. And that’s with the crazy oversampling of core contributorsCore Contributors Core contributors are those who have worked on a release of WordPress, by creating the functions or finding and patching bugs. These contributions are done through Trac. https://core.trac.wordpress.org. no less.
robglidden 1:01 am on May 12, 2023
Wholeheartedly agree with Ryan.

My own AI-chat-in-the-blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience.-editor experiments hit these same old known DX (developer experience) walls.

Bing’s own AI sidebarSidebar A sidebar in WordPress is referred to a widget-ready area used by WordPress themes to display information that is not a part of the main content. It is not always a vertical column on the side. It can be a horizontal rectangle below or above the content area, footer, header, or any where in the theme. for blogblog (versus network, site) generation already hits the mark without aiming.

Strong extensibility is the under-emphasized key and poor DX is the symptom.

So I think 2 threads here are actually connected:
- DX shortcomings of ReactReact React is a JavaScript library that makes it easy to reason about, construct, and maintain stateless and stateful user interfaces. https://reactjs.org/./Redux block editor
- AI and collaboration in WordPress phase 3
Connecting questions:
- What are (AI and other) collaboration best practices beyond “watch multiple people edit a Google doc”?
- What collaboration data structures and rest APIs should WordPress implement in phase 3, and where should they live?
In considering these, I’d suggest:

1. Dial down React/Redux thinking
2. Broaden the “collaboration metaphor”

To elaborate:

1. Dial down React/Redux thinking

Like Ryan has so clearly described, the block editor has so far largely whiffed the extensibleExtensible This is the ability to add additional functionality to the code. Plugins extend the WordPress core software.-platform ball in favor of React/Redux as a convenient UIUI User interface app framework. There are reasons.

And coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. should use and expand its own extensibility tools like slotfills and maybe a command palette.

But … that is still defining every problem as a nail when your only tool is a React/Redux hammer.

And not all of GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/ (block & theme data structures, rest APIREST API The REST API is an acronym for the RESTful Application Program Interface (API) that uses HTTP requests to GET, PUT, POST and DELETE data. It is how the front end of an application (think “phone app” or “website”) can communicate with the data store (think “database” or “file system”) https://developer.wordpress.org/rest-api/. foundation) has devolved to React-Redux-think.

Does ChatGPT, Bing, or Bard/Vertex APIAPI An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways. use React/Redux?

Who knows and who cares?

Their DX key is that they are accessed as (wrappable) rest APIs, adding on top chat session storage and soon workflows (look at the API documentation for context and messages for OpenAI and Vertex/PaLM APIs and the watch the networknetwork (versus site, blog) flows in the web clients).

Count me in on believing that React can’t hold back interacting with custom elements forever (nor should Gutenberg IMO).

2. Broaden the “collaboration metaphor”

There are three collaboration metaphors in wide use:

a) Multi-user simultaneous doc editing
b) Collaboration boards (Figma FigJam and many others)
c) Chat flow “sidebars & state machines” (ChatGPT, Bing sidebar et al, and a coming crop of AI integration step functions).

I don’t know what this all means WordPress collaboration data structures should be:
- embeds/attributes inside the block data structure
- a new chat metaMeta Meta is a term that refers to the inside workings of a group. For us, this is the team that works on internal WordPress sites like WordCamp Central and Make WordPress. table
- a state machine
- a parallel document of chronological blocks
- an multi-AI-model aware meta API (which everyone in AI is already building so they can swap in/out particular models and swap in new workflows/UIs)
- a hybrid mix
- or what
But if WordPress re-embraces DX as the foundation of extensibility and therefore mission, it will be (back) on the right track.
annezazu 10:02 pm on May 22, 2023
Summary as of May 22nd

To loopLoop The Loop is PHP code used by WordPress to display posts. Using The Loop, WordPress processes each post to be displayed on the current page, and formats it according to how it matches specified criteria within The Loop tags. Any HTML or PHP code in the Loop will be processed on each post. https://codex.wordpress.org/The_Loop. back, I wanted to summarize the discussion thus far, powered by ChatGPT since it seemed relevant to do so.

Begin ChatGPT response

The opinions regarding the integration of AI into WordPress can be summarized as follows:
- PluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party Territory: Matt Cromwell, James Lepage, and Ryan McCue believe that AI integration should be handled as a plugin rather than a coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. feature. Matt Cromwell emphasizes that AI options currently require integration with third-party systems and pricing, making it clear that AI is better suited for the plugin ecosystem. James Lepage, as the founder of an AI SaaS offering for WP, is building a plugin to integrate their service with individual sites, highlighting that Core doesn’t need to do anything specific for AI integration. Ryan McCue agrees that AI will likely remain in plugin territory due to the need for external services until AI models become fast enough to run on the same server.
- Extensibility and DX (Developer Experience): Jonathan Derosiers, Rob Glidden, and Dovide Levine stress the importance of improving the extensibility and developer experience in WordPress. Jonathan suggests that Core should consider making small changes to allow plugins to experiment with AI integrations. Rob Glidden points out the DX shortcomings of the blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. editor and emphasizes the need for strong extensibility, proposing a shift away from ReactReact React is a JavaScript library that makes it easy to reason about, construct, and maintain stateless and stateful user interfaces. https://reactjs.org/./Redux thinking. Dovide Levine supports the notion that the best innovation comes from users and highlights the current limitations of the block editor, calling for a focus on improving DX to facilitate innovation.
- Collaboration and APIAPI An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways. Integration: Rob Glidden and Ravisoniets bring up the idea of AI integration in the context of collaboration and workflow. Rob suggests that AI chatbots could be included as “just another” user type in the Phase 3 collaboration/workflow of WordPress. Ravisoniets envisions a WordPress personal AI assistant for businesses and emphasizes the importance of API connectivity to enable customization and integration with various AI models and services.
In summary, there is a consensus among some contributors that AI integration is best suited for the plugin ecosystem, given the current state of AI technology and the fullness of the Core roadmap. There is also a strong call for improving extensibility and developer experience in WordPress, with a focus on addressing the limitations of the block editor. Additionally, there are discussions about the potential of AI integration in collaboration and workflow scenarios, emphasizing the need for API connectivity and customization options.

End ChatGPT response

While this summary is helpful, I do want to also call out a few high level concerns that feel important to surface more:
- Questions remain around how AI and phase 3 might interact, with concerns around how much effort might go into AI vs Phase 3 and some ideas shared around adding AI as just another user account. Clarity might be needed going forward.
- Broader issues were raised around the developer experience and extensibility of the block editor as that directly relates to how Core might accommodate and include AI integration. This includes improved documentation and stabilizing more experimental APIs.
It’s worth noting that beyond general feedback around improved developer experience, there weren’t any mentions of “small paper cut changes that can be made in Core (new filterFilter Filters are one of the two types of Hooks https://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API/Hooks. They provide a way for functions to modify data of other functions. They are the counterpart to Actions. Unlike Actions, filters are meant to work in an isolated manner, and should never have side effects such as affecting global variables and output. or action hooksHooks In WordPress theme and development, hooks are functions that can be applied to an action or a Filter in WordPress. Actions are functions performed when a certain event occurs in WordPress. Filters allow you to modify certain functions. Arguments used to hook both filters and actions look the same., etc.) to allow plugins to better experiment and flesh out AI integrations in the WordPress world” (to steal @desrosj phrasing). It would be incredibly helpful to hear any on people’s minds going forward in this thread if/when responses continue.
robglidden 11:10 pm on May 23, 2023
Questions remain around how AI and phase 3 might interact

“small paper cut changes that can be made in CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. (new filterFilter Filters are one of the two types of Hooks https://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API/Hooks. They provide a way for functions to modify data of other functions. They are the counterpart to Actions. Unlike Actions, filters are meant to work in an isolated manner, and should never have side effects such as affecting global variables and output. or action hooksHooks In WordPress theme and development, hooks are functions that can be applied to an action or a Filter in WordPress. Actions are functions performed when a certain event occurs in WordPress. Filters allow you to modify certain functions. Arguments used to hook both filters and actions look the same., etc.) to allow plugins to better experiment and flesh out AI integrations in the WordPress world”

A workflow system of task blocks associated with a post or other resource and with a group of users.
- wp_create_workflow()
- WP_Workflow::get/set_meta()
- WP_WorkFlow::add_task()
- WP_Workflow::list_tasks()
- WP_WorkFlow::run_task_action()
- WP_WorkFlow::insert_from_task()
And ability to create custom task blocks in the create-blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. tool.

Benefits of describing a workflow as blocks:
- similar to how theme templates are also lists of blocks
- leverages and extends existing block infrastructure and conventions
- self-displaying task blocks
- store streams of comments as inner blocks in a task block
- extensibleExtensible This is the ability to add additional functionality to the code. Plugins extend the WordPress core software. task blocks — some required common attributes and actions
- both users and plugins can add and run tasks
- shareable workflow templates
- workflows manageable as custom post typeCustom Post Type WordPress can hold and display many different types of content. A single item of such a content is generally called a post, although post is also a specific post type. Custom Post Types gives your site the ability to have templated posts, to simplify the concept.
- display tasks in a co-pilot type interface — ReactReact React is a JavaScript library that makes it easy to reason about, construct, and maintain stateless and stateful user interfaces. https://reactjs.org/. component and/or custom element
Challenges:
- linking blocks in a workflow to blocks in a post or template (references? GUIDs? partial infrastructure already in place)
- WordPress user system could be extended beyond capabilities/roles to also support groups (a common growth path for user capability architectures)
- needs a workflow-specific metaMeta Meta is a term that refers to the inside workings of a group. For us, this is the team that works on internal WordPress sites like WordCamp Central and Make WordPress. and task block types
```
<?php
/**
 * Title: Post Workflow
 * Type: workflow
 * Block Types: core/workfow-task, core/workflow-custom
 */
?>

<div class="wp-block-task wp-block-task-comment">Comments here</div>



<div class="wp-block-task wp-block-task-custom">Custom task UI</div>

```
Etson Dorival 11:10 pm on May 24, 2023

As the WordPress community delves into the integration of AI, there are important questions to consider. How should the CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. be updated to ensure it can be extended in ways that are accessible to AI technologies? This entails creating entry points and structures that allow seamless integration of AI capabilities into plugins and themes. Additionally, it is crucial to evaluate how Core currently enables or hinders developers’ efforts in building with AI. Identifying any limitations or areas for improvement can help ensure a smoother development process. Finally, it is important for the community to be aware of potential concerns as they explore the intersection of WordPress and AI. These concerns may include ethical considerations, data privacy, and the potential impact of AI on user experiences. Open and transparent discussions within the community will be vital in navigating these challenges and ensuring responsible and effective AI integration within WordPress.
Benjamin Turner 6:30 pm on May 25, 2023

As I start to leverage AI into more of my workflows, I’ve become more aware of the tactical steps needed to “get things done.”

Rarely is an AI response 100% correct, but I do find value in the dialog — both in terms of reducing tedious “boilerplate stuff” and the learning process of me having to fact-check the ai. Eventually, it would be awesome to be confident in delegating things, but we’re not there yet.

One concrete thing that I think would help me (and my ai assistants) work with WP coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. would be a better way of pausing and flagging “todo” items. Sort of like, “Here’s my desired end state, and here are the steps to get it done.” That could be creating just one post or a whole marketing campaign.

As a concrete example, AI assistance for idea generation is great! It helps me explore content and scaffold out the structure of things. I might iterate and get to 80% of a post directly from AI. But that last 20% is some of the most important in terms of human content creation.

But there are all sorts of small steps that aren’t part of my wheelhouse. SEO optimization. Custom media and “real” media for factual accuracy (If I’m writing about a specific hotel, I want images of that hotel, and not a generated “idea of a hotel”).

Some of those things could be tasks for other humans. Some tasks for AI. But not general ai — you might have targeted models that have a strong domain knowledge for certain tasks.

The key, I think, is for Core to have a more nuanced and flexible publishing route. We have ‘post status,’ but we almost need the level of branching/merging of content that git has for code.
- annezazu 5:36 pm on May 26, 2023
  
  The key, I think, is for CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. to have a more nuanced and flexible publishing route. We have ‘post status,’ but we almost need the level of branching/merging of content that git has for code.
  
  Interesting insight! I imagine this will align nicely with what’s being thought of around phase 3: https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/03/24/phase-3-collaboration/

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