If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you may have noticed it’s been quieter than usual. That pause wasn’t because I ran out of things to write about. On the contrary, it was because I was writing something bigger, something that needed a different format than a single post or even a series of posts. That project became an e-book, AI & Drupal for Mission-Driven Organizations, and I’m happy to finally share it with you.
The e-book reflects months of thinking about two things that have shaped my professional life in very different ways. The first is Drupal, a system I’ve worked with for years, one that has become not just a tool but almost a language I think in when it comes to building digital solutions. The second is artificial intelligence, a newer force in our field that seems to be everywhere all at once, challenging us to rethink how we work, create, and govern our digital spaces.
Bringing these two together, an established, trusted framework and a disruptive, rapidly evolving technology, was the challenge and the joy of writing this resource.
Why Drupal Still Matters (To Me)
Every time I sit down to write about Drupal, whether it’s a short blog entry or a longer piece like this e-book, I’m reminded why I never drift too far from it. Drupal has always been more than a content management system — it’s a framework, a community, and a philosophy. At its core, it is built with flexibility in mind, a system designed not just to deliver websites but to adapt to the needs of organizations as they grow and change.
For mission-driven organizations in particular, this flexibility is crucial. These organizations don’t exist to chase trends; they exist to make an impact. They need systems that don’t lock them into rigid workflows or force them to compromise between governance and creativity. Drupal provides that balance. It offers a foundation where scalability and complexity are possible, but never at the expense of organizational control.
Writing the e-book gave me a chance to revisit this perspective and look at Drupal not only as a technical platform but as a philosophical one. It’s about openness, community, and adaptability, qualities that feel especially important at a time when technology is changing faster than ever.
AI Enters the Conversation
Artificial intelligence is not new. Many of its building blocks have been around for years. What feels new is its accessibility. With the rise of large language models and other AI tools, what was once the domain of specialized researchers has suddenly become part of everyday workflows. Teams that might never have considered AI are now experimenting with it, sometimes cautiously, sometimes recklessly.
The question I kept asking myself while writing was: what does this mean for Drupal?
In many ways, AI and Drupal feel like unlikely partners. One is about data-driven automation, predictions, and learning from patterns; the other is about community-driven frameworks, open governance, and deliberate design. And yet, the more I thought about it, the more it became clear that the two don’t just coexist, they complement one another.
AI has the potential to extend Drupal’s strengths.
- Where Drupal already excels at content governance, AI can act as a second set of eyes, spotting risks or accessibility issues before they slip through.
- Where Drupal supports complex editorial workflows, AI can assist without replacing the humans who give content its voice and authenticity.
- Where Drupal allows personalization through structured data, AI can add nuance and adaptability, offering experiences that feel responsive rather than generic.
These aren’t abstract ideas. They are possibilities that organizations are already starting to explore. The challenge and the opportunity, is to do so responsibly.
Writing the E-book
When I began this project, I didn’t want it to become just another “AI can do everything” guide. There’s plenty of hype already out there. Instead, I wanted to ground it in the realities that mission-driven organizations face every day: how do we govern digital systems responsibly, how do we adopt new tools without undermining trust, and how do we balance innovation with sustainability?
That’s why the e-book is less about technical recipes and more about strategy. It looks at governance not as a hurdle but as a framework for making AI adoption ethical and effective. It talks about workflows not as rigid sequences but as evolving patterns that AI can support without overwhelming. And it reflects on sustainable growth, because introducing AI isn’t just about what works today, it’s about what can continue to work tomorrow.
Writing about Drupal has always been enjoyable for me because it feels like home territory. Exploring AI alongside it brought a different kind of energy. It pushed me to think beyond the familiar, to imagine what Drupal might look like in five or ten years if AI becomes part of its backbone. At the same time, it kept me grounded because I knew I wasn’t writing about AI in isolation. I was writing about AI in the context of Drupal, which meant the conversation always came back to governance, flexibility, and community, the qualities that have always made Drupal distinctive.
Looking Ahead
I believe we’re standing at the beginning of an important shift. For Drupal and for the organizations that rely on it, AI is not going to remain a side experiment for long. It will become part of the everyday fabric of how we manage, create, and govern digital experiences. The decisions we make now, in this early stage, will shape how sustainable and ethical that integration becomes.
For me personally, publishing this e-book isn’t the end of the conversation but the start of a wider one. I plan to keep exploring these themes here on the blog, connecting Drupal’s long-standing strengths with the opportunities and challenges that AI and many other emerging trends bring into focus.
A Note of Thanks and an Invitation
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, thank you. Writing here has always been a way for me to share ideas, test perspectives, and stay connected with others who care about Drupal as much as I do. This e-book is a natural extension of that effort, and I’d love for you to read it.
You can download it here: AI & Drupal for Mission-Driven Organizations
The more we can start conversations about AI and Drupal, the better prepared we’ll be to shape this future together.
Thoughts
As Drupal continues to evolve, and as AI and other innovations reshape the way we build and manage systems, one thing remains clear: mission-driven organizations face challenges that are very different from those of purely commercial enterprises. Their success isn’t measured only in efficiency or profit but in the depth and reach of their impact. That means the technology choices they make, and the principles that guide those choices, carry a weight that extends far beyond their internal teams.
For these organizations, adopting new tools is never just about keeping pace with trends. It is about finding approaches that align with their purpose, protect the trust of their communities, and allow them to keep delivering on their mission sustainably. Whether it is governance, accessibility, performance, or the careful integration of AI, the guiding question is the same: does this help us serve better, and does it do so responsibly?
The road ahead will bring more complexity, not less. But complexity does not have to mean compromise. With Drupal’s flexibility, mission-driven organizations have an opportunity to shape the future on their own terms. By focusing on thoughtful adoption and long-term sustainability, they can continue to innovate without losing sight of why they exist in the first place.