AI in Drupal: Empowering Content Editors, not replacing them

AI is changing the way we create and manage digital content. With Drupal’s AI ecosystem, we can easily integrate and explore how it improves our Drupal sites. 

This evolution started with a clear focus: supporting, not replacing, content editors.

The AI modules and ecosystem in Drupal

The Drupal community is moving fast on AI, rallying around a global initiative that’s shaping the future of responsible innovation. The aim is simple: make Drupal the go-to open source CMS for AI integration.

At the heart of this movement is the Drupal AI Module, a flexible toolkit of submodules that bring AI directly into content workflows.

We’ve been investigating these tools, looking at how they integrate directly into the editorial process:

• CKEditor integrations – AI features that can be called right from the WYSIWYG toolbar.
• Automation modules – Covering tasks like generating alt text, improving SEO, or rephrasing content for different audiences.

Thanks to the modular approach taken by the community, we can add features incrementally as required.

AWS Bedrock

Skpr is built on AWS. AWS Bedrock makes it easy to work with different AI models from various providers, removing the need to run any AI infrastructure yourself. With one API, you can tap into models for text, images, and more. 

For us, that meant flexibility: we could try out different AI models and swap between them without having to rebuild our Drupal integrations. Additionally, AWS Bedrock is accessed from Drupal through an internal network, so data is kept private.

Choosing the right model

We reviewed several different models before we began, comparing them for accuracy, speed, cost, and suitability for editorial tasks. 

Each model has its strengths; some focus on code generation, some on academic content, and others on image processing. With our content editor users in mind, we looked for an all-rounder model that processed text and included image recognition technology. 

Our pick was Nova Lite. It strikes the right balance of quality, performance, and cost-effectiveness for the kinds of quick, high-grade text generation and image processing that we require.

AI in action for Content Editors

The real value of AI in Drupal for Content Editors lies in making everyday content workflows smoother, faster, and more engaging. 

And we’re already seeing how it makes a difference:

AI in CKEditor

With AI built directly into CKEditor, editors can work smarter without breaking their flow. Highlight any text, and AI instantly suggests improvements, rewrites, or alternative phrasings – all without leaving the page.

Need a friendlier tone for your community update? A sharper, more technical explanation for a product page? AI can switch styles in seconds, making it easy to tailor content for different audiences.

It’s more than just rewriting. AI can help expand ideas into richer copy, condense long passages into concise summaries, or adapt existing content to suit different formats. The result is faster turnarounds, more polished content, and less time spent bouncing between tools.

AI to assist with Accessibility

Making your content accessible is essential, but crafting meaningful alt text for images can be tedious, tricky, and is often overlooked. With AI, editors can instantly generate descriptive alt text by analysing the image itself.

The result isn’t final, but it’s a high-quality starting point. Editors can quickly review and refine the AI’s suggestion to ensure accuracy and alignment with accessibility standards, saving significant time while maintaining quality.

This isn't limited to Alt text for images, it can also support more inclusive written content. For example, generative AI can automatically create Easy Read versions of complex text, simplifying language and structure so content is more accessible to readers with diverse needs. Editors get a solid draft they can refine, ensuring accessibility goals are met without adding significant effort.

AI for SEO

AI can make SEO feel effortless by working alongside editors as they create content. 

From suggesting keywords to drafting meta descriptions, AI surfaces optimisations in real time, helping content perform better without disrupting the writing flow.

The Big Picture

AI isn’t replacing content editors. It’s empowering them. 

By combining the flexible DrupalAI toolkit, AWS Bedrock, and the speed of Nova Lite, we’re making content creation more efficient, accessible, and impactful.

If you’re looking to explore how AI can enhance your Drupal site, our PreviousNext and Skpr teams can help with everything from strategic advice to hands-on implementation. 

Let’s bring the future of content editing to your team.