The website hosting platform WordPress.com, part of Automattic, has unveiled a new built-in AI assistant designed to streamline site management. This innovative feature, announced recently, enables users to interact with their website's content and layout using natural language commands.
With this AI tool, site owners can effortlessly modify their layout, style, and other design elements simply by issuing commands. For instance, users can prompt the assistant with phrases like "make this section feel more modern" or "brighten the color scheme," allowing for a more intuitive editing experience.
In addition, the AI can assist in adding new elements to the site, such as a contact page or a testimonials section. However, it is important to note that this feature is compatible only with block themes, which means users of classic themes will not have access to the assistant.
The AI assistant also offers capabilities for content updates, such as rewriting bios for a more confident tone or translating text into different languages. Furthermore, it acts as an editor by providing headline suggestions, fact-checking, and grammar enhancements through the block notes editor introduced in WordPress 6.9. Users can easily engage the AI by typing @ai followed by their request, integrating it seamlessly into their collaborative workflow.
For visual content, the assistant utilizes Google Gemini's Nano Banana AI models to create or modify images. Users can specify their requirements, such as aspect ratios or styles, through a new "Generate Image" button in the Media Library.
Enabling the WordPress AI Assistant is straightforward; users can opt-in by accessing their Sites list, selecting their site, and navigating to Settings to toggle the "Enable AI assistant" option. Additionally, customers who purchase a website with the AI website builder will have this feature automatically activated.