APIs are the bridge between AI and enterprise data, systems, and actions – How to unlock secure data access, accelerate AI adoption, and modernize API portfolios

The recent Nordic APIs LiveCast, Building Intentional APIs, brought together enterprise API leaders to explore a timely topic: how reusable, governed APIs are the critical bridge between enterprise data and AI-powered experiences. As a panelist with Bill Doerrfeld, Emmanuel Paraskakis, and Karl Fankhauser , I had the opportunity to contribute insights that underscore our core belief: enterprises cannot unlock the true value of AI without first getting their API house in order.

Here’s our recap of the key takeaways — and why they matter to your enterprise.

Why Intentional API Design Matters More Than Ever

At digitalML, we define intentional APIs as APIs that are discoverable, reusable, governed, and aligned with both business objectives and technical realities. They are not just technical endpoints; they are well-documented, semantically rich, and lifecycle-managed products that enable:

• Faster time-to-market and flexibility
• Consistent developer and agent experiences
• Better alignment with compliance, security, and business goals

Without intentional design, APIs proliferate in silos, lack clarity, and become liabilities in the age of AI.

AI Agents Are Here — And They’re Hungry for High-Quality APIs

The conversation confirmed what many forward-looking enterprises already sense: AI Agents and LLM-based tools are reshaping how APIs are consumed. These agents don’t rely on tribal knowledge or Slack messages — they need machine-readable structure, consistency, and context. And they’re not waiting.

Key implications:

• AI doesn’t guess — unclear APIs are skipped, not fixed.
• Dual-audience documentation is now table stakes — your APIs and their supporting documentation need to speak to humans and machines.  We have outlined what this looks like in: Agent Consumers vs. Developer Consumers – What do they actually want
• Discoverability is a business risk — if your APIs and supporting documentation aren’t findable and interpretable by LLMs, they may as well not exist. 

The enterprise winners will be those who treat AI consumption as seriously as developer experience.  The good news is that enterprises with strong API management practices have been preparing for this.

From Fragmentation to Flywheel: A Portfolio Approach

Enterprises with 1000s of APIs, events, and services across gateways, code repos, and integration platforms are struggling with a simple question: Where do we start?

We recommend a four-phase playbook:

1. Catalog everything – Build a source of truth across gateways, clouds, and platforms and keep them connected with pre-built integrations
2. Contextualize – Add metadata, governance, lifecycle, ownership, and usage context – ignite’s new Secure AI augmentation is a great way to accelerate this without giving your IP to the LLM.
3. Curate – Identify and promote the APIs worth reusing
4. Consolidate – Retire, collapse, or replatform what’s redundant or risky
5. Track Consumption – Your AI and human consumers will tell you where to invest, change, update – connect and listen to them

This isn’t just clean-up. It’s a shift toward managing your portfolio, treating APIs as enterprise products — and turning sprawl into strategy.

Business Value You Can Measure

Reusable APIs unlock reuse of business capabilities, not just code. That means:

• Accelerated partnerships and new channel integrations
• Faster product launches using composable APIs
• Millions saved avoiding redundant builds or migrations
• Faster compliance and security remediation

Whether it’s scaling existing digital platforms, adding new partners, or responding to evolving standards (OpenAPI 3.1, Arrazo), targets (MCP, A2A, gateways, integration platforms), and security updates, an independent catalog of intentional APIs deliver speed, scale, and strategic advantage.

Agentic APIs: A New Consumption Paradigm

The rise of agent-based consumption introduces new standards and targets.  Enterprises will increasingly need:

• Two views of the API documentation: one optimized for human developers, one for agents
• Standardized contracts (OpenAPI 3.1, Arrazo, etc.) readable by LLMs
• Rate limits, security, and cost controls that factor in autonomous consumption patterns
• Intelligent lifecycle tooling to monitor and guide adoption
• Tailored onboarding experiences for internal and external AI and development consumers

digitalML’s ignite Platform enables this future today — providing the catalog, lifecycle, and portal experiences needed to ensure your APIs are AI-ready and enterprise-safe.

The Call to Action: Don’t Just Build APIs. Build a Competitive Moat.

AI needs data – APIs deliver it.  AI needs action – APIs enable it.  AI needs clarity – APIs provide it.

At digitalML, we help enterprises create their API portfolio that’s intentionally built for reuse, discoverability, and AI-readiness.:

✅ Centralize and catalog all APIs, events, and services
✅ Apply governance and product thinking across the API lifecycle
✅ Enhance metadata and documentation for human + AI consumption
✅ Enable API reuse across cloud, runtime, and business units
✅ Future-proof portfolios for agentic AI and evolving standards

Let’s Talk

If your organization is looking to future-proof your API strategy for the AI era, let’s have a conversation. Whether you’re starting from sprawl or scaling toward reuse, the ignite Platform offers a consultative, enterprise-grade solution to help you succeed.

👉 Contact Us for a Portfolio Review