What is API (application programming interface)?

What this actually means

An API is like a menu and ordering system between programs: it lists what you can ask for and the format the answer comes back in.

Many AI tools are available through APIs, so other apps can add AI features without building their own models.

Example

A weather app shows tomorrow's forecast by asking a weather service's API, not by measuring the weather itself.

Where you may meet it

Anywhere apps connect: online payments, maps in websites, 'sign in with' buttons, AI features inside other software.