Citrus Solutions developer Oskari Kulmala attended DrupalCamp Finland this year and returned with observations that offer a glimpse into the future of digital services. One theme stood out clearly above the rest: artificial intelligence.
However, AI was not discussed as a standalone phenomenon or a distant vision of the future. Instead, conversations focused on how artificial intelligence can be used as part of digital services, customer experiences and everyday work.
A Familiar Event with a New Topic
DrupalCamp Finland is the annual flagship event of the Finnish Drupal community, bringing together developers, content creators and digital service professionals. This year, presentations pointed in a clear direction: artificial intelligence is moving from experimentation into practical use.
Many speakers highlighted the idea that future digital services will be more than places to publish information. They will become increasingly intelligent services that support users, simplify interactions and help people find the right information more quickly.
The Drupal AI Module in System Integrations
One of the major topics at the event was the Drupal AI module, which enables AI services to be integrated into Drupal-based websites and digital services.
According to Oskari, this is not so much a completely new development as a continuation of an existing trend.
“In the end, these are integrations. More complex and more intelligent than before, but integrations nonetheless.”
In practice, this may mean helping content creators produce content more efficiently or offering users new ways to interact with digital services.
What stood out most was that the underlying principle has not really changed. As technology evolves, success still depends on connecting the right systems in a way that genuinely supports users and business needs.
Drupal CMS Lowers the Barrier to Development
Another topic that generated significant discussion was Drupal CMS. Its goal is to make building and developing digital services easier than before.
For many organizations, a website or digital service is a critical tool for communication, customer service or business operations. That is why it creates real value when services can be improved quickly without every change requiring extensive technical work.
Drupal CMS aims to address this challenge by introducing new ways to build and maintain digital services. Development is still ongoing, but the direction is clear. The goal is to make digital service development more accessible and flexible.
According to Oskari, the solution currently appears best suited for smaller implementations where organizations are comfortable evolving alongside a rapidly developing platform. At Citrus, we actively follow these developments and continuously evaluate where new solutions can provide genuine value for our customers.
Headless Drupal Creates a Clear Structure for AI Agents
One of the most interesting observations from the event concerned how the structure of digital services affects their future potential.
Many digital services are now built in a way that allows information to be easily reused across multiple channels and services. This creates flexibility today while also laying the groundwork for future AI-driven solutions.
Artificial intelligence relies on well-structured information. When a digital service is built on a solid foundation, its content can be used not only by people, but also by new services and AI-powered tools.
This is one reason why the structure of a digital service is becoming increasingly important. A well-designed service remains valuable over time and can adapt to new ways of using information as technology evolves.
Artificial Intelligence Alongside Traditional Search
One presentation focused on improving search functionality with artificial intelligence.
The objective was not to replace traditional search but to complement it. Users still search as usual, while AI helps evaluate results and surface content that is most likely to match what the user is actually looking for.
From the user's perspective, the outcome is simple: the right information is found more quickly and with less effort.
This is a good example of how AI can be used effectively. The greatest benefits often emerge when technology quietly improves an existing service rather than trying to replace everything that came before.
What Does Drupal AI Bring to Digital Services?
Drupal AI brings artificial intelligence into everyday digital service operations. Its potential applications include content creation, search functionality, online services and cooperation between different systems.
Based on DrupalCamp Finland 2026, the following themes appear particularly important:
• Supporting content creation with artificial intelligence
• Improving the search experience through user-focused solutions
• Making better use of structured information across multiple channels
• Helping systems work together more effectively
• Solving practical user and business challenges through technology
From Citrus Solutions’ perspective, the key issue is not any individual technology. What matters is building digital services that remain open, sustainable and easy to develop as needs change.
What Does This Mean for Your Digital Service?
Oskari's most important takeaway from DrupalCamp was not about a specific technology. It was about how digital services are planned and built.
Public discussions often portray artificial intelligence either as a threat or as a universal solution. In reality, the greatest value usually comes from practical solutions that make everyday tasks easier and improve the user experience.
A well-designed digital service serves users today while giving organizations room to grow and adapt in the future. Achieving this requires a solid structure, thoughtful technical choices and a partner who understands both technology and business goals.
At Citrus Solutions, we believe the best digital services are created when strong technical expertise is combined with a genuine understanding of business goals and user needs.
What Do These Terms Mean in Practice?
Several technical concepts were discussed during DrupalCamp. Below is a brief explanation of some of the key terms.
- Drupal AI
A tool that enables artificial intelligence to be used within Drupal-based digital services. It can support content creation, translations and information retrieval.
- Integration
A connection between two or more systems that allows information to move automatically from one system to another.
- API
A method that enables different systems to exchange information securely and efficiently.
- Drupal CMS
A Drupal-based solution designed to simplify the creation and maintenance of digital services.
- Canvas Editor
A visual editing tool that allows users to modify web pages while seeing the final result in real time.
- Headless Drupal
An architecture in which content management and presentation layers are separated, enabling content to be delivered to multiple channels and services.
- Front-end
The part of a digital service that users see and interact with in their browser.
- React
One of the most widely used technologies for building modern user interfaces.
- Twig Template
A templating tool used to define how content is presented to users.
- AI Agent
Software capable of performing tasks on behalf of users. In the future, AI agents may search for information, make reservations or manage interactions across multiple services.
