By Derek AshauerWordPress will be rolling out automatic updates to the core in version 3.7. WordPress currently has a simple update system but it requires manually initiating that process. This new automatic update system will update everything without you having to touch a single thing.
The Good
The number one reason sites get hacked is because they do not update WordPress. Hackers go for the lowest hanging fruit and that is sites running outdated versions of WordPress with known vulnerabilities. Since WordPress will automatically update itself when security updates are released many more sites will be protected.
The Bad
Some people think this is not a great idea because automatically updating the core of your website without your knowledge could break your site. Well WordPress developers have already thought of that. If you don’t want automatic updates to happen you don’t have to. Simply add a simple line to your wp-config.php file and it will disable the automatic update system.
Our Thoughts
This will really help WordPress innovate faster. The less time WordPress and the community has to deal with sites being hacked the more time they can spend on making it better.
It is possible that an automatic update could break functionality. If it does, then the developer of the plugin or the theme which caused the break is at fault, not WordPress. We feel users will force plugin and theme developers to really test their code against the upcoming release before the next WordPress release comes out. Doing so will ensure everyone a smooth transition forward.