---
url: 'https://dri.es/accelerating-ai-innovation-in-drupal'
title: 'Accelerating AI innovation in Drupal'
author:
  name: 'Dries Buytaert'
  url: 'https://dri.es/about'
date: '2025-06-09T09:42:00-04:00'
license: 'https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/'
type: blog
summary: 'Drupal launches its AI Initiative with more than $100,000 in funding and a dedicated team to build AI tools for website creation and content management.'
tags:
  - Drupal
  - 'Artificial Intelligence'
image: drupal/drupal-ai-founding-members
published: true
id: 5821
---

# Accelerating AI innovation in Drupal

[video UFoUci-Gqp0]

Imagine a marketer opening Drupal and with a clear goal in mind: launch a campaign for an upcoming event.

They start by uploading a brand kit to Drupal CMS: logos, fonts, and color palette. They define the campaign's audience as mid-sized business owners interested in digital transformation. Then they create a creative guide that outlines the event's goals, key messages, and tone.

With this in place, AI agents within Drupal step in to assist. Drawing from existing content and media, the agents help generate landing pages, each optimized for a specific audience segment. They suggest headlines, refine copy based on the creative guide, create components based on the brand kit, insert a sign-up form, and assemble everything into cohesive, production-ready pages.

Using Drupal's built-in support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), the AI agents connect to analytics tools and monitor performance. If a page is not converting well, the system makes overnight updates. It might adjust layout, improve clarity, or refine the calls to action.

Every change is tracked. The marketer can review, approve, revert, or adjust anything. They stay in control, even as the system takes on more of the routine work.

### Why it matters

AI is changing how websites are built and managed faster than most people expected. The digital experience space is shifting from manual workflows to outcome-driven orchestration. Instead of building everything from scratch, users will set goals, and AI will help deliver results.

This future is not about replacing people. It is about empowering them. It is about freeing up time for creative and strategic work while AI handles the rest. AI will take care of routine tasks, suggest improvements, and respond to real-time feedback. People will remain in control, but supported by powerful new tools that make their work easier and faster.

The path forward won't be perfect. Change is never easy, and there are still many lessons to learn, but standing still isn't an option. If we want AI to head in the right direction, we have to help steer it. We are excited to move fast, but just as committed to doing it thoughtfully and with purpose.

The question is not whether AI will change how we build websites, but how we as a community will shape that change.

### A coordinated push forward

Drupal already has a head start in AI. At [DrupalCon Barcelona 2024](https://dri.es/state-of-drupal-presentation-september-2024), I showed how Drupal's AI tools help a site creator market wine tours. Since then, we have seen a growing ecosystem of AI modules, active integrations, and a vibrant community pushing boundaries. Today, about 1,000 people are sharing ideas and collaborating in the `#ai` channel on [Drupal Slack](https://www.drupal.org/join-slack).

At [DrupalCon Atlanta in March 2025](https://dri.es/state-of-drupal-presentation-march-2025), I shared our latest AI progress. We also brought together key contributors working on AI in Drupal. Our goal was simple: get organized and accelerate progress. After the event, the group committed to align on a shared vision and move forward together.

Since then, this team has been meeting regularly, almost every day. I've been working with the team to help guide the direction. With a lot of hard work behind us, I'm excited to introduce the [Drupal AI Initiative](https://www.drupal.org/ai/announcement).

The Drupal AI Initiative builds on the momentum in our community by bringing structure and shared direction to the work already in progress. By aligning around a common strategy, we can accelerate innovation.

### What we're launching today

The Drupal AI Initiative is closely aligned with the broader [Drupal CMS strategy](https://www.drupal.org/about/starshot), particularly in its focus on making site building both faster and easier. At the same time, this work is not limited to Drupal CMS. It is also intended to benefit people building custom solutions on Drupal Core, as well as those working with alternative distributions of Drupal.

To support this initiative, we are announcing:

- **A clear strategy** to guide [Drupal's AI vision and priorities](https://www.drupal.org/ai/announcement) ([PDF mirror](https://dri.es/files/drupal-ai-strategy-june-2025.pdf)).
- **A Drupal AI leadership team** to drive product direction, fundraising, and collaboration across work tracks.
- **A funded delivery team** focused on execution, with the equivalent of several full-time roles already committed, including technical leads, UX and project managers, and release coordination.
- **Active work tracks** covering areas like AI Core, AI Products, AI Marketing, and AI UX.
- **USD $100,000 in operational funding**, contributed by the initiative's founding companies.

For more details, read the full announcement on the [Drupal AI Initiative page on Drupal.org](https://www.drupal.org/ai/).

### Founding members and early support

[image drupal/drupal-ai-founding-members]

Over the past few months, we've invested hundreds of hours shaping our AI strategy, defining structure, and taking first steps.

I want to thank the founding members of the Drupal AI Initiative. These individuals and organizations played a key role in getting things off the ground. The list is ordered alphabetically by last name to recognize all contributors equally:

- **[Jamie Abrahams](https://www.drupal.org/u/yautja_cetanu) ([FreelyGive](https://freelygive.io/))** – Innovation and AI architecture
- **[Baddý Breidert](https://www.drupal.org/u/baddysonja) ([1xINTERNET](https://www.1xinternet.com/))** – Governance, funding, and coordination
- **[Christoph Breidert](https://www.drupal.org/u/breidert) ([1xINTERNET](https://www.1xinternet.com/))** – Product direction and roadmap
- **[Dries Buytaert](https://www.drupal.org/u/dries) ([Acquia](https://www.acquia.com/) / Drupal)** – Strategic oversight and direction
- **[Dominique De Cooman](https://www.drupal.org/u/domidc) ([Dropsolid](https://dropsolid.com/))** – Fundraising and business alignment
- **[Marcus Johansson](https://www.drupal.org/u/marcus_johansson) ([FreelyGive](https://freelygive.io/))** – Technical leadership
- **[Paul Johnson](https://www.drupal.org/u/pdjohnson) ([1xINTERNET](https://www.1xinternet.com/))** – Marketing and outreach
- **[Kristen Pol](https://www.drupal.org/u/kristen-pol) ([Salsa Digital](https://salsa.digital/))** – Cross-team alignment and contributor engagement
- **[Lauri Timmanee](https://www.drupal.org/u/lauriii) ([Acquia](https://www.acquia.com/))** – Experience Builder AI integration
- **[Frederik Wouters](https://www.drupal.org/u/wouters_f) ([Dropsolid](https://dropsolid.com/))** – Communications and outreach

These individuals, along with the companies supporting them, have already contributed significant time, energy, and funding. I am grateful for their early commitment.

I also want to thank the staff at the [Drupal Association](https://www.drupal.org/association) and the [Drupal CMS leadership team](https://www.drupal.org/about/starshot) for their support and collaboration.

### What comes next

I'm glad the Drupal AI Initiative is now underway. The [Drupal AI strategy is published](https://dri.es/files/drupal-ai-strategy-june-2025.pdf), the structure is in place, and multiple work tracks are open and moving forward. We'll share more details and updates in the coming weeks.

With every large initiative, we are evolving how we organize, align, and collaborate. The Drupal AI Initiative builds on that progress. As part of that, we are also exploring more ways to recognize and reward meaningful contributions.

We are creating ways for more of you to get involved with Drupal AI. Whether you are a developer, designer, strategist, or sponsor, there is a place for you in this work. If you're part of an agency, we encourage you to [step forward and become a Maker](https://www.drupal.org/ai/become-a-maker). The more agencies that contribute, the more momentum we build.

**Update:** In addition to the initiative's founding members, [Amazee.io](https://www.amazee.io/) already stepped forward with another commitment of USD $20,000 and one full-time contributor. *Thank you!* This brings the total operating budget to USD $120,000. Please consider [joining as well](https://www.drupal.org/ai/become-a-maker).

AI is changing how websites and digital experiences are built. This is our moment to be part of the change and help define what comes next.

Join us in the `#ai-initiative` channel on [Drupal Slack](https://www.drupal.org/join-slack) to get started.
