Navigating WordPress AI: Core Abilities API

Just the other day, a client came to us, buzzing about AI. “Ahmad,” he said, “we need to integrate some of that new AI magic into our WordPress site. You know, the latest and greatest.” I get it. Everyone wants the edge. But as a developer who’s been around the block a few times, “latest and greatest” often translates to “unstable and a future debugging nightmare.” Especially when we’re talking about something as foundational as the WordPress AI Abilities API.

My first thought, honestly? Just grab a beta library, pull in some Composer package, and make it work. We’ve done similar things with new REST API endpoints before they fully landed in core. And yeah, that could work for a quick demo. But for a production site, where stability and maintainability are paramount, that’s a dangerous path. You end up with bespoke solutions that break with every core update, wasting time and money.

Understanding the WordPress AI Abilities API Direction

The smarter approach, and what my team always pushes for, is to understand the core initiative. WordPress is actively working on integrating AI capabilities, and they’re doing it thoughtfully. Take the Core AI team’s bi-weekly meeting summary from September 18th, 2025, over on make.wordpress.org/ai. It’s a goldmine for understanding their direction.

They’re talking about serious architectural decisions for WordPress 6.9, like changing the Abilities API’s package type from a library to a wordpress-plugin. Now, before you panic and think “another plugin dependency,” the key takeaway from the discussion (you can read the full summary at this link) is that this change doesn’t impact existing plugins. It’s about how it transitions into core, ensuring it’s a stable, integrated feature, not just a standalone plugin you install. It’s a good sign that they’re thinking long-term.

They’re also defining what they expect from a Composer package in this context. If you’ve ever dealt with Composer in a WordPress project, you know it can be a blessing or a curse. But seeing how WooCommerce handles it – integrating a pre-6.9 version via Composer into their vendor directory – shows a pragmatic way forward for early adopters. This is about making sure developers can leverage these tools without waiting for the next major WordPress release to drop.

• Client-Side Abilities: The push for client-side AI abilities in 6.9 is exciting. Imagine AI features directly in the editor, providing real-time assistance.
• Minimal “Sparkly” Abilities: They’re aiming for a few impactful abilities in 6.9, not a full suite. This measured approach, much like how the REST API started, means more stable features that grow over time. Good.
• “Discover Abilities” as a First Step: Starting with a mechanism to discover available AI abilities, similar to ChatGPT’s connector specification, is smart. It lays the groundwork for extensibility.

What does this mean for us, the developers, and for our clients? It means we don’t just hack together some AI solution. We build with foresight, aligning with WordPress core. When the Abilities API arrives, it will be a robust, extensible framework. Not some bolted-on mess.

For example, if you were developing a custom AI-driven feature for your client, knowing about the core Abilities API means you’d design your solution to integrate with it, rather than building a siloed system. You might check if a particular ability is supported before attempting to use it:

<?php
/**
 * Plugin Name: Bbbioon AI Features
 * Description: Custom AI features leveraging WordPress Core AI Abilities.
 * Version: 1.0.0
 * Author: Bbbioon Team
 * Text Domain: bbioon-ai
 */

function bbioon_check_ai_ability() {
    // This is a conceptual example. Actual API interaction will vary.
    if ( class_exists( 'WP_Core_AI_Abilities' ) && method_exists( 'WP_Core_AI_Abilities', 'has_ability' ) ) {
        if ( WP_Core_AI_Abilities::has_ability( 'bbioon_content_generation' ) ) {
            // Ability exists, proceed with content generation feature.
            bbioon_generate_content_with_ai();
        } else {
            // Ability not found or not enabled.
            bbioon_fallback_content_generation();
        }
    } else {
        // Core AI Abilities API not yet available in this WordPress version.
        error_log( 'Bbion AI: Core AI Abilities API not detected.' );
    }
}
add_action( 'init', 'bbioon_check_ai_ability' );

function bbioon_generate_content_with_ai() {
    // Logic to use the core AI ability.
    // ...
}

function bbioon_fallback_content_generation() {
    // Fallback logic if AI ability is not available.
    // ...
}
?>

So, What’s the Real Deal Here?

The real deal is this: WordPress is moving forward with AI, but they’re doing it the right way—iterative, measured, and built for the long haul. As developers, our job isn’t just to implement the shiny new thing; it’s to implement it correctly. That means staying informed about core developments, understanding the architectural decisions, and building solutions that leverage these stable foundations. Otherwise, you’re just stacking tech debt. Period.

Look, this stuff gets complicated fast. If you’re tired of debugging someone else’s mess and just want your site to work, drop my team a line. We’ve probably seen it before.