Developers working with AI reportedly feel ‘overwhelmingly positive’ about its benefits to business strategy, according to the new ‘2024 API Impact Report’ from Kong Inc, a developer of cloud API technologies.
These new findings from Kong suggest that there has been a shift in public perception, with developers choosing to embrace AI instead of fearing it. In fact, around 92 per cent of developers say AI is a priority in their organisations, with 83 per cent reporting AI investments have created opportunities for new products or services in the last year.
Additionally, the report reveals that the global economic impact of APIs is expected to reach $17.3trillion by 2030. In the same timeframe, the value of APIs to enable AI is expected to grow 170 per cent, highlighting a need to implement a strong API strategy in place for future innovation. Developers cite that the most critical aspect of API management in the next one to two years will be the integration with AI.
While AI enables platforms to become intelligent, APIs are what build the platform. Starting with a base of observability, security and governance allows organisations to adopt AI quickly, without opening them up to vulnerabilities.
“We’ve reached the moment where AI adoption is imperative; however, doing so strategically will be the ultimate marker of long-term success,” explained Marco Palladino, CTO and co-founder of Kong. “Our report highlights the need for infrastructure underneath AI applications that provides strong governance while enhancing AI performance.”
Kong also reiterated the importance of strengthening security, as it found an expected 548 per cent growth in the forecasted annual number of API attacks by 2030. Data privacy, security and governance emerged as a top concern for nearly 60 per cent of developers surveyed when it comes to integrating AI services with existing microservice infrastructure.
Stamping out bad practices
It is clear developers have embraced AI with 57 per cent saying AI will make their job easier. Unsurprisingly, ChatGPT is the most used LLM among developers surveyed, followed by Azure AI and Google Gemini.
However, bad practices may already be sneaking into developers’ workplaces. While 80 per cent say their organisations have guidelines or restrictions on AI use, 60 per cent say they find ways to work around the restrictions.
This highlights the fact that the challenge remains on how to enforce these guidelines effectively without hindering productivity. Half of developers and managers say their organisation needs to be more aware of the business value of APIs.
This study examined the financial landscape of API infrastructure and associated technologies, analysing the economic trends alongside the costs tied to different API security vulnerabilities. Expert opinions on the use of AI in the workforce and the future of AI were obtained through a survey of 747 IT professionals and business leaders conducted in June and July 2024.