Is there still a future for WordPress plugin developers in the AI era?
I’m a React Native developer with about seven years of experience in software development. 2 years of those were focused entirely on WordPress development building sites through actual code and an IDE, not primarily using page builders.
I currently work as a React Native developer, but around two years ago, before AI agents became as capable and widespread as they are now, I started building a WordPress plugin that I thought could genuinely help WordPress users.
Since then, AI has improved so quickly that I’ve found myself in a bit of limbo. I’m unsure what the future of WordPress plugin development looks like and whether it still makes sense to invest time in building a plugin as an independent developer.
I’ve been thinking a lot about where WordPress plugin development is headed. AI is making it much easier to generate code, scaffold plugins, write documentation, create marketing copy, and even troubleshoot bugs. The barrier to creating a basic plugin feels like it is dropping quickly.
At the same time, the places developers used to use to build visibility and connect with people like Facebook groups, forums, subreddits, and other public communities. It seem increasingly flooded with AI-generated content, spam, and affiliate posts. It makes sense that moderators are responding with stricter rules around self-promotion and posting, but it also makes it harder for legitimate small developers to share something useful they are building.