The current stage for AI and Application Programming Interfaces APIs

I’ve rarely seen sound and performant APIs in my 20 years as a software engineer. Those APIs were not poorly implemented by bad engineers but just by a lack of business value and prioritisation in doing the right job. Historically, dev teams build APIs to complement online services and mobile or web applications, focusing on machine-to-machine (M2M) communications for backend services, not end-user interactions. This under-prioritisation of API development originated from their lack of direct interaction with the end users and more difficult-to-implement integrated solutions for the end users. Therefore, most business features are only available in GUIs and not on valuable APIs.

However, as of March 2025, the AI landscape demands a shift, particularly with the materialisation of AI agents and digital assistants (DAs). Companies must now prioritise API development to remain competitive or risk obsolescence, much like those without websites in the 2000s or mobile apps in the 2010s.

The Evolution of APIs

Before 2023, APIs were utility tools, often lacking the feature parity of their GUI counterparts. Investment was low because they didn’t directly engage end users, serving mainly for backend integrations. This situation mirrors past digital shifts: in the early 2000s, businesses asked, “Why do I need a website?” By the 2010s, the question was, “Why do I need a mobile app?” In 2025, the question is, “Why do I need a top-notch API?” The answer lies in AI and DAs, which are set to partially or fully replace mobile and web interfaces, with users consuming services via DAs.

To understand this, consider Daniel Miessler’s insights. His book The Real Internet of Things anticipated a future of interconnected digital agents. He revisited and updated these ideas in his May 15, 2023, blog post AI’s Next Big Thing Is Digital Assistants and podcast episode UL NO. 468 | TELOS Patterns, Apple 0-Day, Gumroad Replaces Developers with AI, predicting DAs as the next big AI disruption.

Miessler describes DAs as AI-powered agents, like Siri but enhanced with ChatGPT-level capabilities, accessing services through APIs—e.g., querying restaurant APIs for food options or placing Amazon orders. They combine user context (life story, goals, daily activity) with large language models (LLMs) for personalised services, from booking flights to acting as life coaches.

The Problem: The Need for AI-ready APIs

As of March 2025, the current state shows many APIs are ill-prepared for this DA-driven world. They lack scalability, security, and feature parity, risking failure under AI demands. For instance, DAs will drive spikes in API usage for tasks like voice processing or video uploads, requiring APIs to handle time-consuming operations efficiently. Without robust authentication, authorisation, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) for critical interactions like payments, APIs expose vulnerabilities. Poor CI/CD pipelines can delay deployments, and low availability erodes trust in DAs.

This issue is critical because companies without top-notch APIs will struggle to integrate with DAs and lose users to competitors. It’s not just about technical capability but also business survival in an AI-dominated market.

Bad APIs and Risks

Bad APIs would include those with:

• No robust authentication, risking data breaches.
• Inability to scale and automatically take on new users, failing under DA traffic.
• Lack of MFA for payments or updates, compromising security.
• Poor handling of time-consuming tasks, like video processing, leads to delays.
• Low availability, causing downtime and user frustration.
• Inefficient CI/CD pipelines, slowing deployments and updates.
• Lack of automated verification without an Integrated Test Automation Framework.

These deficiencies can lead to lost revenue, damaged reputation, and missed opportunities in the DA ecosystem.

The Solution: Building APIs for the AI Era

Companies must prioritise top quality and AI-oriented API implementation to address this problem, ensuring they’re ready for DAs. A top-notch API should include:

• Comprehensive Features: Match or exceed GUI capabilities, exposing all business services for DA access.
• Scalability and Performance: Handle large volumes and time-consuming tasks with low latency, like big data, voice and video processing.
• Security: Implement strong authentication (e.g., OAuth 2.0), authorisation, and MFA for critical operations.
• High Availability: Ensure uptime with load balancers, fail-over systems, and rigorous testing for production deploys.
• Developer Experience (DX): For easy integration, offer clear documentation and SDKs and adhere to modern standards like RESTful, gRPC or GraphQL.

This approach aligns with research on APIs’ role in digital transformation, as seen in resources like Importance of APIs in the Digital Age: APIs in the Digital Age: Their Significance

Comparison of Legacy vs. Top-Notch APIs

This table illustrates the evolution needed to meet AI demands, ensuring your API strategy aligns with future trends.

Conclusion

As we navigate the transformative landscape of 2025, the rise of AI digital assistants (DAs) has elevated APIs from mere backend utilities to the cornerstone of business survival and innovation. The shift is undeniable: DAs will reshape how users access services, relying on APIs to deliver seamless, personalised experiences. Yet, legacy APIs hampered by limited scalability, inadequate security, and a lack of feature parity are woefully unprepared for this new era. Companies clinging to outdated systems risk obsolescence, much like those that dismissed the need for websites in the 2000s or mobile apps in the 2010s.

However, this challenge also presents a profound opportunity. By prioritising top-notch APIs, organisations that invest in comprehensive, scalable, secure, AI and developer-friendly APIs will position themselves as leaders in the AI-driven market. Robust APIs enable companies to handle surging traffic, secure critical transactions, and expose the full range of their services to digital assistants, unlocking new avenues for growth and customer engagement. The stakes are high: failure to adapt could mean lost revenue and irrelevance, while proactive investment promises a competitive edge in an increasingly interconnected world.

The time to act is now. The AI assistant revolution is upon us, and APIs are your ticket to thriving. Don’t let poor prioritisation relegate your business to the sidelines. Embrace this change and build the digital foundations for a future where your company doesn’t just survive but leads.

Shameless plug: Partnering for Success

The Test Automation Agency specialises in preparing organisations for this shift. Our services include API testing, refactoring, performance tuning, and CI/CD optimisation, ensuring your APIs are AI-ready. Let’s work together to build secure, scalable, and feature-rich APIs, positioning your business as a leader in the digital assistant era.

Connect with us using the header button now and get started on preparing your competitiveness in this new AI world.