Kong, a developer of Cloud API technologies, has published the findings of its 2024 API Impact Report, revealing that developers working with AI overwhelmingly perceive it as advantageous to business strategy. The report indicates that AI is a priority for 92% of developers, with 83% noting that AI investments have led to the development of new products or services over the past year. These results underscore a shift in public perception, with developers increasingly embracing AI rather than fearing it.
The report also highlights that the global economic impact of APIs is projected to reach $17.3 trillion by 2030. Within the same period, the value of APIs in enabling AI is expected to increase by 170%, emphasising the importance of a robust API strategy to support future innovation.
“We’ve reached the moment where AI adoption is imperative; however, doing so strategically will be the ultimate marker of long-term success,” said 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.”
Security remains a major concern, as the report predicts a 548% increase in the annual number of API attacks by 2030. It is therefore understandable that nearly 60% of developers surveyed cited data privacy, security, and governance as top concerns when integrating AI services with existing microservice infrastructure.
Other notable findings include:
- Although 80% of developers report that their organisations have guidelines or restrictions on AI usage, 60% admit to finding ways to bypass these restrictions
- ChatGPT emerged as the most utilised large language model (LLM) among those surveyed, followed by Azure AI and Google Gemini
- Half of the developers and managers believe their organisations need to better recognise the business value of APIs
- 60% of developers express a strong enthusiasm for working with AI
- Developers identified the integration of AI as the most critical aspect of API management over the next one to two years
The report makes it clear that developers are increasingly embracing AI, with 57% stating that AI will simplify their work. While 80% of organisations have established guidelines for AI, the challenge lies in enforcing these guidelines effectively without compromising productivity. This underscores the need for a robust API strategy, as APIs form the foundation upon which intelligent platforms are built. Ensuring observability, security, and governance from the outset enables organisations to adopt AI swiftly, without exposing themselves to vulnerabilities.
The study explored the financial landscape of API infrastructure and related technologies, analysing economic trends and the costs associated with various API security vulnerabilities. Expert insights on the use of AI in the workplace and its future were gathered through a survey of 747 IT professionals and business leaders conducted in June and July 2024.
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