AI Experiments 0.5.0 has been released and is available for download! “What’s new in AI Experiments…” posts (labeled with the #aiex-release tag) are posted following every AI Experiments release, showcasing new features included in each release.
What’s New In
AI Experiments 0.5.0?
We’re pleased to announce the release of AI Experiments v0.5.0, the latest update to the canonical plugin powering experimental AI-powered features in WordPress. This release focuses on preparing the plugin for the upcoming WordPress 7.0 release, simplifying dependencies and aligning the plugin with the AI functionality now landing in core with the Connectors screen.
What’s new in 0.5.0?
Aligning with WordPress 7.0
One of the major goals of this release is aligning the plugin with WordPress 7.0’s built-in AI capabilities, specifically the shift of the WP AI Client from a standalone, canonical Composer package to bundled in WordPress core.
In previous versions, the AI Experiments plugin included its own dependencies for AI client functionality. With 0.5.0, those dependencies have been removed and the plugin now relies on WordPress core’s AI infrastructure instead. This helps ensure the experiments remain compatible with the direction of AI development in core and reduces duplication between the plugin and WordPress itself.
As part of this shift, the plugin now sets WordPress 7.0 as its minimum supported version, reflecting the move toward using the AI features provided directly by WordPress which are only available from WordPress 7.0 onward. If you’re using the plugin with WordPress 6.9, then you’ll need to wait for the release of WordPress 7.0 on April 9th to upgrade the plugin (or alternatively can upgrade to a beta/RC version of WordPress 7.0 to continue testing).
Improved Connector Integration
The plugin has also been updated to better align with the connector-based architecture used in WordPress for connecting AI providers.
Credentials previously stored through the plugin’s AI Credentials screen are now migrated to the Connectors screen, ensuring compatibility with the broader ecosystem of AI provider plugins and the connector APIs in core.
This change makes it easier for experiments to interact with whichever AI providers a site has configured, while keeping provider management centralized in WordPress.
What’s next in 0.6.0?
Work is already underway on several features and refinements planned for v0.6.0, including:
- Onboarding flows as necessary in support of the “Try AI” callout in WordPress 7.0
- Refining Experiments to potentially elevate to Feature within the plugin, while renaming the plugin from AI Experiments to WordPress AI
- Image Editing experiment to erase and replace, expand canvas and fill, and background removal
- Refine from Notes experiment to update post content based on editorial feedback
- Content Provenance tracking for text and images via C2PA
- Contextual Tagging experiment that suggests post tags and categories based on post content, title, and excerpt, helping authors apply consistent, relevant taxonomy directly in the editor
- Updating AI Experiments admin screens to utilize DataViews and DataForms
Several early prototype experiments are also being explored, including type-ahead suggestions, content moderation assistance, extended provider support, AI request logging, and tools like the AI Playground and deeper MCP integration. These concepts are still exploratory, but they help test how AI could support real workflows across WordPress. We encourage users and developers to review and test these ideas and share feedback so the most valuable experiments can mature and land in upcoming releases like 0.6.0.
Thanks to contributors!
A big thank you to everyone who contributed to this release, including:
@dkotter, @jeffpaul, @isotropic, @flixos90, @juanfra, and others involved in review, testing, and 83 commits between 0.4.0 and 0.5.0.
Your help and feedback are what make these experiments possible.
Get involved
As always, we welcome feedback, testing, and contributions from the community. Whether you are interested in editor UX, APIs, accessibility, performance, or AI ethics and policy, there are many ways to participate.
You can explore the v0.5.0 release today, review open issues and pull requests, and help shape what comes next.
Props to @justlevine for reviewing this post.