WordPress Unveils Telex: An Experimental AI Tool for Gutenberg Blocks
WordPress Introduces Telex: A New AI Tool for Gutenberg Block Creation
At this year’s WordCamp US 2025 conference in Portland, WordPress CEO Matt Mullenweg revealed Telex, an experimental AI-powered development tool designed specifically for WordPress users. Telex aims to simplify the process of building Gutenberg blocks—modular pieces like text, images, and columns that form the backbone of any WordPress site—by using prompt-based AI interfaces.
What Is Telex and How Does It Work?
Telex is currently available as an early-stage experiment at telex.automattic.ai. The tool allows users to describe the type of content block they want through a simple text prompt. Telex then generates the requested block, packaging it as a .zip file, which can be installed as a WordPress plugin or used in WordPress Playground—a browser-based environment for running WordPress without a host.
Early Impressions and Limitations
During the keynote, Mullenweg demonstrated Telex’s capabilities, showing how a developer created a simple marketing animation block with just a prompt. However, early testers noted that the tool is still a work in progress—some generated projects failed or required additional adjustments to function as intended. Mullenweg emphasized that Telex is a prototype, but he remains optimistic about its potential to advance WordPress’s mission of democratized publishing.
AI and the WordPress Mission
Mullenweg highlighted how AI could help make website creation more accessible, removing barriers that previously required technical expertise. He stated:
"When we think about democratized publishing, like embedded in that, is very core to WordPress’ mission, has been taking things that were difficult to do, that required knowledge of coding or anything else, and … made it accessible to people. Made it accessible in a radically open way, in every language, at low cost, open source — we actually own it and have rights to it."
Other AI Experiments and Future Plans
Alongside Telex, Mullenweg showcased a browser-based WordPress help assistant built in just a few hours during Contributor Day. He also praised Perplexity’s Comet, an AI-powered web browser that could enable new forms of interaction with WordPress.
Ongoing Legal Disputes
Mullenweg briefly addressed the ongoing legal dispute with WP Engine, a hosting provider. He asserts that WP Engine is benefitting from the WordPress ecosystem without sufficient contribution and wants the company to license the WordPress trademark to avoid customer confusion. While the case is still making its way through the courts, Mullenweg assured the community that he trusts the legal process.
Conclusion
Telex marks a significant step in WordPress’s journey to leverage AI for more accessible web publishing. While still experimental, the tool hints at a future where creating complex website elements could be as easy as typing a prompt. As developments unfold, the WordPress community and business owners should keep an eye on how AI tools like Telex can transform content creation and site management.
