The OpenAI Drupal Module: Practical Tools for News Websites
Five new AI laws, three sports events, and an iPhone launch — all need to be published by evening. Each news piece needs tags, verification, and categorization. Sounds familiar? Let's explore what real tools the OpenAI module for Drupal has to offer.
A New Assistant in the Editor
Open the familiar CKEditor to write your news piece. There's a new button in the interface — a direct link to OpenAI. Now you can interact with AI without leaving the editor. It's like having a consultant at hand, accessible with just one click.
Help with Tags
Just published an article? The module will analyze the text and suggest tags for it. You maintain complete control — use the suggested tags or add your own. It's not magic, just a simple tool that can save time on routine work.
Basic Moderation
The module includes automatic content verification functionality. It can help track potential violations of basic moderation rules. Of course, it's not a replacement for an experienced editor, just a first line of checking.
Preparing for the Future
Here's an interesting technical capability — integration with the Pinecone vector database. The module can create vector embeddings for your content. This is a technical foundation that could be used in the future to develop smart search for your news archive.
What's Needed to Start?
To work with the module, you'll need:
Drupal 10 or 11
PHP 8.1 or newer
OpenAI API key (paid)
Installation happens with one command:
Important to Understand
The module is currently in beta (1.0.0-beta6). This means:
Functionality may change
Thorough testing is needed before use
Updates should be monitored
Each AI request is billed, so it's important to set up API usage monitoring and establish limits.
Real Limitations
Let's be frank: this module isn't a magic wand. It won't:
Write news instead of journalists
Make editorial decisions independently
Fully automate moderation
It's a tool that can help with certain tasks but won't replace a professional team.
What's Ahead?
The Drupal community is working on improving the module. This is a living project that's constantly evolving. The main focus is on the stability of current functions and API integration optimization.
Got a news site that could use some AI superpowers? Our Drupal Development team is here for the tech talk.
