5 Takeaways from DrupalCon Vienna: A Glimpse into Drupal's AI-Driven Future

DrupalCon Vienna 2025 was a landmark gathering of the global open-source community and Reading Room was proud to be right at the heart of it.

From the unveiling of next-gen AI capabilities to the launch of powerful site-building tools like Mercury and Canvas, the conference confirmed that Drupal is not just evolving, it's accelerating. 

The week in Vienna showed off the best of the Drupal ecosystem: technical innovation, inclusive collaboration, and a bold vision for what's next. Here are our standout takeaways from the event: 

1. Too many organisations are still underestimating Drupal. 

Despite its maturity and proven capability, many digital decision-makers continue to overlook Drupal in favour of costly, closed-platform solutions. At DrupalCon, the message was loud and clear: Drupal is not just powerful and scalable, it's community-driven, open, and future-proof.  

More than ever, organisations need to rethink what they're really paying for when choosing a platform. With Drupal, you're getting flexibility, security, and a vibrant community without the proprietary price tag. 

2. The community is Drupal's greatest strength. 

More than just a CMS, Drupal is a movement driven by passionate people. That spirit was alive in every talk, workshop, and spontaneous hallway conversation. The Drupal Certified Partner (DCP) network was a powerful reminder of how agencies, developers, and contributors are working together to shape the platform's future. 

Amid rapid tech change, this human layer is what ensures Drupal stays relevant, inclusive, and accountable. 

3. AI is being baked in, not bolted on. 

Artificial intelligence took centre stage at this year’s Dries Buytaert's keynote (Driesnote), not as a future ambition, but as a near-term reality. New tools like AI-generated page building, autonomous agents, and the Context Control Center are already taking shape, thanks to the Drupal AI Initiative. 

From smart content creation to contextual site personalisation, Drupal is building AI into the core platform. As Dries put it: "The AI you use today is the worst AI you'll ever use for the rest of your life." 

AI in Drupal is about enhancing, not replacing, the human element. It's a productivity amplifier for content teams, designers, and developers alike. 

4. Security isn’t a footnote, it's foundational. 

One of the most impressive (and under-reported) aspects of the event was the spotlight on Drupal's security model. From governance to patching, the professionalism of the Drupal Security Committee shows just how seriously this community takes risk management.  

For compliance-heavy sectors like public services, healthcare, housing, and membership organisations, Drupal remains a top-tier choice. And unlike many platforms, its security evolution is community-driven and fully transparent. 

5. The product roadmap is bolder than ever. 

Vienna gave us a glimpse of a Drupal that's faster, more visual, and more accessible than ever: 

• Mercury: A new theme and design system powering the first official Drupal templates 
• Drupal Templates: Best-practice configurations to simplify and accelerate builds 
• Marketplace MVP: A new hub for sharing templates and components (featuring its first listing, "Byte") 
• Drupal Canvas: A visual site-building interface with Figma-to-Drupal integration and Content Templates 
• AI-backed Canvas agents: Enabling AI-assisted landing page creation 
• $1M in funding for AI, accessibility, and theming initiatives 

All of this is pointing toward Drupal CMS 2.0, set to launch in early 2026, which will include Canvas out of the box and introduce smarter orchestration features and no-code workflows. 

The Future of Digital Belongs to the Open 

In a week full of tech, one message stood out: the future is not just about automation — it’s about people. Drupal’s evolution is powered by a community that listens, adapts, and shares. 

As a Drupal web design agency, we’re already exploring how these next-gen Drupal tools - from Canvas to AI-driven content - can unlock smarter, faster, and more flexible digital solutions for our clients.  

If you’re planning a new build or looking to evolve your existing Drupal platform, now’s the perfect time to take advantage of what’s coming next. Let’s talk!