WordPress.com adds an AI Assistant that can edit, adjust styles, create images, and more | TechCrunch

WordPress.com, the website hosting platform from Automattic, will now include a built-in WordPress AI assistant, the company announced on Tuesday. The feature is designed to work inside the website to understand its content and layout, allowing site owners to make changes with natural language commands.

With the new tool, you can adjust the site’s layout, its style, or other patterns by issuing commands to the AI assistant. You’ll then see the changes reflected on the site as you work. These instructions don’t have to be precisely tailored prompts, either, the company notes. Instead, you can use more general language, like “make this section feel more modern or spacious,” “change my site’s colors to be brighter and bolder,” or “give me more font options that feel clean and professional.”

You can also direct the AI to add or adjust your layout, instructing it to do things like “add a contact page,” or “add a testimonials section below this section.” However, the company notes that its adjustments work with block themes, not classic ones. If you’re using the latter, the assistant won’t appear in the editor.

The WordPress AI assistant can update the site’s content, as well, like asking it to rewrite your bio to sound more confident, or translating a section into another language.

The AI can also function like an editor, offering headline suggestions, fact checks, and other grammar and editing suggestions. This aspect is available through the block notes editor that arrived in WordPress 6.9, where you’re able to collaborate with teammates in the editor. Now you can pull the AI into that workflow by typing @ai followed by your requests. The AI will provide its answers here, including relevant links and other information where it cites external sources.

Meanwhile, for help with visuals, the assistant leverages Google Gemini’s Nano Banana AI models, which can be used to either make new images or edit existing ones. With the AI helper, available as a new “Generate Image” button in the Media Library, you can specify image requirements like aspect ratios or dictate image styles.

The company notes the WordPress AI Assistant is an opt-in feature users can enable if they choose. To do so, they will need to visit their Sites list once logged in, click their site name, and then Settings. Under settings, they’ll scroll down to “AI tools” and toggle the “Enable AI assistant” setting on.

Customers who purchase a website with the AI website builder will have the assistant enabled automatically.