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AI tools in Drupal CMS

Drupal CMS's AI tools aim to make building a site and managing its content more efficient. Whether you're new to Drupal CMS and need help finding your way around, or an experienced user looking to speed up common tasks the AI assistant is here to help.

  • For content creators: Use the built-in AI tools to help you add accessible descriptions to images, with more features available in the AI ecosystem.
  • For site administrators: AI assistant can help navigate Drupal CMS's vast feature set, complete site building tasks and get instant help creating content types, fields and categories.

What should I expect?

Drupal CMS's AI assistant, like the language models it is built on, is good at tasks that allow for some creative freedom, and less reliable (though still very useful) when being true-to-fact is the most important thing.

It's always wise to review the AI assistant's work.

Installation and configuration

Once installed, the AI assistant will:

  • Add an option to generate alternate text to the image uploading UI.
  • Configure an AI-powered chatbot to assist with common administrative tasks.

There are three supported providers:

  • amazee.ai
  • Anthropic
  • OpenAI

No API key is needed for amazee.ai. You will get a limited free trial to use AI features, which can be extended by registering for an account. If you don't use amazee.ai, you'll need either an OpenAI API key, or an Anthropic API key. Note that this will require payment, and is not the same thing as a ChatGPT key.

You can enable these features using the Drupal CMS AI Assistant add-on:

  1. Navigate to Extend > Recommended add-ons (/admin/modules/browse/recommended).
  2. Locate the AI Assistant recipe, and press the Install button.
  3. Select a provider and press Continue.
  4. Add the API key, if required.
  5. Once the add-on is installed, you should see an AI Assistant button in the top toolbar. (You may need to clear the cache to see this.) Click the button to open the chat in the sidebar.

Key AI features in Drupal CMS

Below are examples of things the Drupal CMS AI can help you with

Faster navigation and configuration changes

Use the assistant to help locate, and change, configuration options faster.

Example query: "How do I change the site name?"

Expected results: The assistant will make the configuration change for you if it has the ability to do so. Or, it will provide you with instructions on how to navigate to the relevant configuration forms so you can make the changes yourself.

Automate common tasks

Use the AI tools to assist in populating the alternate text for uploaded images. This can save you time and improve your site's accessibility.

Try it out:

  1. Navigate to Create > Image.
  2. Choose an image to upload.
  3. Under the Alternative text section press the Generate with AI button.
  4. Review the generated text and press Save to add the image to your media library.

Build complex features quickly

The AI assistant understands Drupal CMS best practices, and how to use the existing tools like content types, fields, and views. Ask it to help scaffold new features to save time.

Try it out with this example query or another like it:

"I want to create a new section of my site that lists different types of wines. Create a wine content type with fields for describing the wine, reviews, and an image. Add the option to categorize wines by region using taxonomy. And populate the wine region taxonomy with a list of popular wine regions."

You've probably heard that language models often make things up. This means they might confidently generate results that sound plausible but may not be accurate or align with your specific requirements. When using generative AI to build website features, there's always a risk that it could misinterpret your query, configure something incorrectly, or introduce unnecessary complexity.

Proceed with caution and always review the assistant's work. After completing a task, the assistant should provide you with a summary of the changes it made. Take the time to inspect this summary to ensure it matches your expectations. Check for any inaccuracies or oversights, especially in critical areas like taxonomy relationships, field configurations, and content modeling. A little diligence upfront can save you significant troubleshooting later.