At WordCamp US, WordPress co‑founder Matt Mullenweg demoed Telex — an experimental AI that generates Gutenberg blocks from plain‑language prompts. The prototype is trending among WordPress devs and hobbyists for its promise and its glitches.
From v0 to WordPress: the pitch
Matt Mullenweg introduced Telex as “V0 or Lovable, but specifically for WordPress”. The reference nods to existing AI‑assisted coding services that let users build websites by describing what they want. During his keynote, he showed how Telex can take a prompt like “Give me a two‑column layout with a hero image on the left and a signup form on the right” and spit out a ZIP file containing a custom Gutenberg block. Users can install the file on their WordPress site or test it in WordPress Playground, a browser‑based development environment.
Telex is accessible at telex.automattic.ai, though it’s labeled “experimental.” In the demo, a developer used it to generate a simple marketing animation, complete with fade‑in effects. The tool also promises integration with WordPress Playgrounds, enabling on‑the‑fly experimentation without deploying to a live site.
Early reactions: awe and skepticism
The WordPress community’s response was immediate. On TikTok, creators posted side‑by‑side comparisons of hand‑coding a block versus using Telex. On X, WordPress theme developers debated whether AI‑generated blocks would clutter plugin repositories. Some saw Telex as a productivity boon for non‑coders, while others worried about security. “If anyone can upload a generated ZIP, what stops malicious code?” one Reddit user asked.
Automattic acknowledges that Telex is a prototype. Early testers reported that some generated blocks failed to run properly or required manual tweaks. The chart below summarizes early outcomes:
Despite the hiccups, many were impressed. Users appreciated being able to experiment with layouts without learning PHP or React. Mullenweg framed the tool as an extension of WordPress’s mission to democratize publishing: “Taking things that were difficult to do, that required knowledge of coding, and making them accessible in a radically open way”.
Building an AI team and the road ahead
Telex isn’t a one‑off. Earlier this year, WordPress formed a dedicated AI team to explore generative tools. Projects under consideration include automatic image description, content summarization and AI-powered site personalization. Mullenweg admitted that AI hype can be scary, but he believes there’s a core opportunity to simplify web creation for millions of users. Other ecosystems are experimenting with similar frameworks for developers — for example, JetBrains’ Koog AI framework, which is bringing agentic AI tooling into the Kotlin world.
Security and quality remain concerns. Automattic says it’s implementing code scanning to detect malicious blocks and will provide warnings if generated code uses deprecated functions. The company also plans to open‑source parts of Telex so developers can audit how prompts are converted into code. Feedback loops will be critical: as more people use Telex, the model can learn which patterns produce stable blocks and which lead to bugs.
Why it’s trending
Lowering barriers. Non‑technical users can create custom layouts, potentially broadening WordPress’s user base.
Competition with other AI builders. Services like V0.dev and Lovable have shown demand for prompt‑driven web design. Telex brings that concept into WordPress’s huge ecosystem.
Fear of AI‑generated code. Developers worry about bloated or insecure blocks flooding the plugin marketplace. This tension fuels online debate.
