Josh Mitchell on Version Control and Oversight in Drupal CMS

Josh Mitchell, in a blog post responding to Dries Buytaert’s “How AI Could Reshape CMS”, expands on the need for modern content management systems like Drupal to support more advanced version control and oversight workflows. He explains how content creators and developers working in parallel require Git-like branching, merging, and revision management—not only for code but also for content and configuration. Drawing from his experience, Josh details how Drupal’s existing tools like workflows, moderation states, and revision handling support these needs to some extent, but suggests that moving toward the Workspaces module would better enable true content branching and controlled publishing. 

He outlines real-world editorial processes, including multilingual content and translation workflows, and emphasizes the importance of contextual diffing tools for reviewing changes. On the topic of oversight, Josh supports Dries’ call for responsible AI governance and illustrates how Drupal can already support complex review and publishing structures, as shown in a project with the City of Portland. He cautions against over-reliance on AI and argues for systems that maintain human accountability, even as automation expands.