The speaker discusses the release of MariaDB 11.0, which includes a new optimizer with a new cost model. The cost model provides an accurate way to measure costs, making it easy to adjust the optimizer accordingly. The new optimizer aims to use different methods to access rows, choose the best method for each query, and get better table combinations and plans. The speaker also discusses the availability of different cost variables, the importance of properly tuning them, and the potential benefits for users in terms of fewer query tweaks and faster performance. Future plans include working on parallel query and enabling all optimizers, including bushy plans.