Mega tech trends like the cloud, the mobile phone era, metaverse and now AI all depend on enabling technologies sitting right beneath the surface hidden from nearly everyone’s view. Their structural integrity depends on the flawless operation of those enabling technologies, which in many cases are Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). As such, their success depends on API adoption. Nowhere is this truer than in the rapid proliferation of AI technologies, like generative AI, which require a simple and very easy-to-use interface that gives everyone access to the technology. The secret here is that these AI tools are just thin UIs on top of APIs that connect into the highly complex and intensive work of a large language model (LLM).

It’s important to remember that AI models don’t think for themselves, they only appear to be so that we can interact with them in a familiar way. APIs are essentially acting as translators for AI platforms as they’re relatively straightforward, highly structured and standardized on a technological level. What most people think of as “AI” should be viewed through the lens of an API product; and with that mindset, organizations can best prepare for what potential use cases are possible and how to ensure their workforces have the skills to put them into action. — Read More