Glossary

What is API?

An API is a kind of socket that lets programs talk to each other; through an API, other software can use the AI.

An API (application programming interface) is a fixed way for two programs to exchange data. Through an AI's API, your accounting software, say, can fetch an AI summary automatically, without a person cutting and pasting. You do not notice the API yourself; it sits under the hood.

What this means for you

You do not have to do anything technical with it. It does explain how AI suddenly turns up in software you already use: through a connection like this.

Related words

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Last reviewed: 19 June 2026.