Dries Buytaert

Acquia has launched a new Fair Trade Initiative that commits 2% of every eligible revenue-driven partner transaction to the Drupal Association as part of its updated partner programme. The company said the initiative is designed to connect commercial Drupal growth with long-term community sustainability by embedding ecosystem funding directly into partner deal economics rather than relying on discretionary sponsorships or one-time grants. ...more

Drupal agency founders and executives are expected to gather in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on 27–28 May for Drupal Pivot Cambridge, a peer-led unconference organised during Boston Tech Week. The event will focus on artificial intelligence, operational strategy, and changing business conditions affecting Drupal service providers. Discussions will follow an attendee-driven format designed around shared operational and strategic concerns within the agency ecosystem. ...more

Dries Buytaert has published details of an experimental system that uses artificial intelligence to generate Rector rules for Drupal API migrations automatically. Built as an extension of the Drupal Digests project, the system analyses Drupal Core commits, issue discussions, and code changes to produce upgrade rules intended to reduce repetitive migration work for module maintainers. The project reflects broader efforts within Drupal to automate parts of long-term maintenance and API modernisation workflows. ...more

A new post by Dries Buytaert examines how API design affects AI-assisted development. The analysis focuses on ambiguity, validation, and feedback loops. It argues that stricter systems improve both speed and reliability. ...more

Discussion at DrupalCon Chicago 2026 reflects a shift in how the Drupal community approaches artificial intelligence, moving from uncertainty to practical adoption. A post by Beth Gunter highlights how AI is being framed as a tool that extends expertise rather than replacing it, with implications for agencies, developers, and enterprise-scale projects. ...more

A blog post shared by Paul Johnson reflects on one year of the Drupal AI Initiative, tracing its origins from early discussions at Drupal Developer Days Leuven to its current scale as a major collaborative effort. The update highlights growth in adoption, partnerships and ongoing development efforts. ...more

Beth Gunter reflects on DrupalCon Chicago 2026 in a recap published by Spry Digital, highlighting artificial intelligence as a recurring theme across keynotes and sessions. The post describes a shift toward viewing AI as a tool that supports developer expertise, while also outlining leadership approaches centred on problem selection and collaboration. ...more

A blog post by Dries Buytaert challenges the policy assumption that “Buy European” ensures digital sovereignty, arguing that ownership and geography are unstable indicators of control. The analysis instead points to software licensing and supply chain resilience as the decisive factors shaping long-term independence, raising questions about how European frameworks assess sovereignty in cloud and software ecosystems. ...more

A new intervention in Europe’s software sovereignty debate argues that Open Source should be treated as a baseline requirement rather than a marginal procurement factor. In a blog post published on 1 April 2026, Dries Buytaert challenges how the European Commission weighs licensing in its Cloud Sovereignty Framework and warns that the same logic could carry into the proposed Cloud and AI Development Act. The argument matters beyond Drupal because it goes to the centre of how long-term software control is defined in EU cloud policy. ...more

Drupal 12 will introduce Argon2id as its default password hashing algorithm, replacing bcrypt and aligning the platform with current security best practices recommended by OWASP and NIST. The change, outlined by Drupal founder Dries Buytaert, strengthens resistance against modern hardware-based attacks while maintaining backward compatibility. Existing passwords will be automatically rehashed upon user login, ensuring a seamless transition for site owners and users without requiring manual intervention. ...more

Marking Drupal’s 25th anniversary, Dries Buytaert’s State of Drupal 2026 keynote frames artificial intelligence as both a disruptive force and a structural opportunity. The presentation outlines how AI is accelerating site building and content workflows while exposing new pressures on governance, quality, and contribution practices. As the ecosystem adapts, Drupal’s long-term relevance is tied to how it integrates AI without weakening its architectural and community foundations. ...more

As AI tools accelerate content production across the web, concerns are mounting about the rise of indistinguishable and low-context outputs. At DrupalCon Chicago 2026, Dries Buytaert addressed this shift directly, outlining how Drupal is positioning itself as an alternative model that combines AI speed with institutional control. The approach centres on embedding organisational knowledge into content workflows and redefining how digital experiences are built within the CMS. ...more