WordPress 6.4 has arrived with built-in AI features that could change how millions of bloggers create content. Automattic is betting that AI assistance should be part of the core experience, not an afterthought via plugins.
The Features
The new AI Assistant is embedded directly in the block editor. Writers can now get AI suggestions for improving their content, rephrasing awkward passages, or generating outlines - all without leaving the editor. It’s accessible via a new AI button in the toolbar.
Auto-generate alt text uses computer vision to analyze images and suggest appropriate descriptions. This improves accessibility and SEO automatically, addressing a task that many bloggers neglect.
The SEO recommendations feature uses AI to analyze content and suggest improvements. Unlike basic SEO plugins that check for keyword density, this analyzes content quality, readability, and structure. It’s like having an SEO expert reviewing your post before publication.
Content summarization automatically generates excerpts and meta descriptions. The AI understands your content and creates accurate summaries that capture the key points - another time saver for busy bloggers.
The Catch
These AI features aren’t free. Users need to provide an API key from OpenAI, Anthropic, or configure local models. Automattic is not providing free credits, unlike some plugin developers.
This means the AI features are opt-in, and only users willing to pay for API access will benefit. It’s a sensible business decision - maintaining AI infrastructure is expensive - but it does create a two-tier experience.
What It Means
WordPress is staying relevant by embracing AI, but the paywall approach means not everyone will use these features. For those who do, it could significantly speed up the writing workflow.
The broader implication is that AI is becoming a standard part of the publishing toolkit. WordPress powers a huge percentage of the web, and their embrace of AI normalizes its use. Expect other CMS platforms to follow suit.