Human in the Loop: What WordCamp Europe 2026 Reminded Us About AI, Open Source and the Future of the Web
10 June 2026
A Digital Dispatch by Sian Jamieson, Partnership Lead
We went to WordCamp Europe 2026 in Krakow last week with a lot of questions. Which, to be fair, is exactly why we love being part of the WordPress community.
And like every year, we have returned to home with new ideas, new tools to explore, new conversations to continue, and a list of things we want to try.
But this year also felt different.
Because whether you work in development, design, content, communications, or business strategy, there was one topic that was impossible to ignore.
AI.
Like many people working in digital, we arrived with a mix of curiosity, excitement, and a healthy dose of caution.
What does this mean for developers?
What does this mean for content creators?
What does this mean for agencies like ours?
And most importantly, what does this mean for the people and organisations we support?
After two days surrounded by developers, contributors, businesses, creators, and problem-solvers from across the WordPress community, we left feeling something we maybe didn’t expect.
Reassured.
Because while the technology is moving incredibly quickly, WordCamp Europe reminded us of something very important, the human part still matters most.
AI is not about replacing what we do. It is about rethinking how we do it
One of the biggest conversations we had as a team was around how we can use AI to do things better, not just faster.
And that distinction matters, because faster is easy. More content, more code, more output. But better? That requires understanding.
It requires knowing what problem you are trying to solve, who you are solving it for, and what a good outcome actually looks like.
Throughout WordCamp we saw exciting examples of how AI can support workflows, improve testing, assist development, and help teams explore ideas.
Our developers came away with new tools to investigate, from automated testing processes that could help catch issues before client handover, to new approaches that make development workflows smarter and more efficient.
And that is exciting, because when used well, AI gives us more space to focus on what matters. Solving problems, creating better experiences, and supporting the people who use what we build.
But there was another important reminder: we all still need expertise.
There will always be a need for someone who understands the code, someone who can look at an answer and say: “Yes, that works.” Or just as importantly: “No, that’s not right.”
AI can support the process, but it shouldn’t replace the thinking.
The future is not human versus AI
One of our biggest takeaways from WordCamp Europe was that the conversation around AI is starting to mature. It is becoming less about replacement, less about fear, less about asking, “What jobs will AI take?”
And more about asking: “How can we use this responsibly?” “How can we build better things?” “How do we make sure humans remain at the centre?”
Because technology without context is just technology. It needs people. People who understand audiences, people who understand accessibility, people who understand ethics.
People who understand that behind every website visit, every form submission, every donation, every membership sign-up, and every online interaction, there is a real person trying to do something.
And that has always been where we believe good digital starts.
Why WordPress and open source still matter
Among all the discussions about the future, WordCamp also reminded us why we chose WordPress in the first place.
Open source has never just been about software, it is about people.
A global community contributing knowledge, solving problems, sharing ideas, and building something that millions of organisations can access and shape.
This matters. Especially for the organisations we work with; charities, arts organisations, membership bodies, community groups, and purpose-led businesses, people who need digital tools that give them flexibility, ownership, and long-term value.
We saw this demonstrated perfectly in the story of CERN’s move to WordPress. One of the world’s largest scientific communities, choosing open source was not just a technical decision, it was about governance, sustainability, and empowering people to create and manage content. They built a system that supports humans rather than creating barriers.
And that philosophy feels very familiar. Because for us, a good website has never been just about the technology behind it, it is about what that technology enables people to do.
Strategy still matters (maybe more than ever)
For those of us working in communications and content, there was another reassuring message, the tools may have changed, but the fundamentals have not.
AI can help you write faster, but it cannot decide what your organisation stands for. It cannot replace understanding your audience, the small details, experiences, values, and human moments that make your organisation different.
In a world where anyone can create more content, the challenge is no longer simply being visible. It is about being meaningful, knowing your voice, your purpose, the people you are trying to reach and those things are not becoming less valuable, they are becoming essential.
So, where do we go from here?
We left WordCamp Europe 2026 excited about new tools, new possibilities and what comes next for WordPress.
But mostly, excited because we came away feeling that the values we have always believed in matter more than ever.
Technology should empower people, good digital should be accessible and people should have ownership and control over the tools they use.
At its heart, innovation should never lose sight of who it is actually for.
AI is going to change how we work, there is no question about that. But it does not change why we work.
For us, the future is not about removing humans from the process, it is about giving humans better tools.
We will keep on being curious and creative, in our communities locally and globally, and always we will always keep the human in the loop.
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