On December 2nd, we had the opportunity to attend one of the most exclusive events in the WordPress world: State of the Word 2025. Hosted high above San Francisco in the Salesforce Tower, this invite-only event took WordPress’s annual keynote to new heights, both literally and figuratively

At JetBackup, we’ve seen our fair share of WordPress events. But this one felt different.

Above the Clouds, and Into the Core of WordPress

Forget the expo halls and fluorescent lights of past events. This year’s State of the Word took place on the 59th floor of the Salesforce Tower, offering a panoramic view that stretched out to the Golden Gate Bridge to Alcatraz. Security was tight. No cameras were allowed inside, and the livestream barely made it past the intro slide. Even the cellular signal was limited, making live updates nearly impossible.

This created an environment where people were fully present, not distracted by devices or social media. The focus was clear: real conversations, real people, and real impact.

A Jazz-Inspired Merge of Community and Code

Themed around jazz drummer Gene Krupa, WordPress 6.9 brought a cohesive aesthetic that ran through the entire experience. We even had a chance to paint spinning vinyl records in what was dubbed “vibe vinyling”, by Carrie Smaha of Inmotion, a truly hands-on nod to WordPress’s creativity and musical tradition.

Then Came the Moment: WordPress 6.9 Goes Live

For the first time, a major WordPress release launched live on stage. As the room counted down and Matt Mullenweg pressed the button, WordPress 6.9, named “Gene,” went live. Within an hour, over 700,000 websites had already updated—no hiccups, no downtime, other than the SOTW simulcast. It was a powerful reminder of what two decades of open-source collaboration can achieve.

Keynote Highlights: AI, APIs, and a Community-Driven Future

Executive Director Mary Hubbard opened the keynote with stories of transformation from users who became contributors and contributors who became leaders. Her message centered on people, the true engine of WordPress.

Matt followed up with metrics that validate WordPress’s dominant role in web publishing. WordPress now powers 43% of all websites, commands a 60% share of the CMS market, and runs nearly 50% of the top 1,000 global sites. Japanese has become the second-most-used language, and the plugin ecosystem has exploded to more than 60,000 plugins.

WordPress and AI: Infrastructure, Not Just Features

But the real headline wasn’t just about how big WordPress has gotten. It was about how deep AI is going. WordPress isn’t just bolting on AI as a fancy feature. It’s baking it into the foundation—redefining what a CMS even is. This shift toward intelligent automation, adaptive interfaces, and AI-assisted content creation isn’t just a technical upgrade; it’s a pivot in how we think about building and managing the web.

That said, it’s not all upside. Embedding AI at this level means we’re also staring down some serious questions. What happens when algorithms start shaping editorial decisions or amplifying existing biases? If we’re not careful, we could end up scaling the wrong things—bad assumptions, shallow content, or invisible gatekeeping. And let’s not ignore the complexity this adds for open-source contributors. As AI features become more technical, the learning curve steepens and the barrier to entry rises.

To address this, the event also featured a panel with leaders from Automattic, Google, and 10up, discussing the future of AI in WordPress. Four major building blocks were introduced in version 6.9:

  • Abilities API creates a unified capability registry for AI to understand what WordPress can do.
  • WP AI Client provides a provider-agnostic way to connect to AI systems such as OpenAI and Anthropic.
  • MCP Adapter bridges the gap between AI providers and WordPress’s capabilities, preserving context and security.
  • AI Experiments Plugin gives users early access to AI tools while helping developers explore integration possibilities.

This approach isn’t about picking one AI model to back. It’s about future-proofing WordPress with a flexible foundation that evolves as the AI landscape changes.

WooCommerce, AI, and the Future of E-Commerce

Matt shared a stat that made every hosting provider in the room pay attention. WooCommerce now powers 8.9% of all websites, surpassing Shopify in global market share. With AI shopping assistants like ChatGPT entering the scene, early adopters who optimize for visibility now will have the edge in a rapidly shifting search landscape.

It’s not just about product pages anymore. It’s about whether your data is clean enough for AI to find you.

Education, Contributors, and the Next Generation

Learn.WordPress.org reached 1.5 million users this year, with engagement up 32%, and programs like Campus Connect are making WordPress part of academic life. In Costa Rica, students at Universidad Fidélitas now earn academic credit for contributing to WordPress projects. They’re not just learning how to build websites; they’re learning how to lead in open source.

As someone who spends every day thinking about infrastructure and digital resilience, seeing this kind of pipeline gives me hope.

Looking Ahead: The Open Web’s Next Chapter

Matt closed the event with a clear mission: keep WordPress at the heart of the open web for the next 20 years. That means investing in AI, improving developer experience, and staying true to the values that got us here.

At JetBackup, we believe in those values. Whether it’s keeping data safe, enabling recovery at scale, or just making sure no one loses a decade of work to a bad update, we’re proud to support the backbone of the open web.

This event represented more than a routine gathering; it served as a pivotal moment for assessing the progress and future direction of the WordPress community. Reflecting on the discussions and advancements showcased, it is evident that WordPress is not only poised to adapt to forthcoming technological changes but is also actively shaping the open web through deliberate innovation and community engagement.