APIs are often seen as back-office plumbing, but in the emerging world of agentic AI, they are the execution layer that makes autonomy possible. Without APIs, AI remains stranded in theory—able to reason, but unable to act.

From Copilots to Agents

The last wave of AI adoption has been copilots—tools that help users write emails, summarize documents, or draft code. These copilots assist, but they don’t take initiative. Agentic AI is different. Agents can plan, reason, and execute tasks end-to-end, often without human intervention.

But here’s the catch: for agents to actually do something, they need APIs. APIs are the hands and feet of AI. They let an agent check a customer’s eligibility, process a payment, or reschedule a shipment.

APIs as the Action Layer

Consider healthcare. A patient-facing AI agent may be asked to verify benefits and book an appointment. That agent cannot achieve the goal without a secure and reliable API. Through APIs, it connects to claims systems, checks eligibility, and schedules care—all actions that today require phone calls and manual lookups.

Let me take an example close to my heart (I work at Optum). At Optum, APIs like those available on the Developer Portal already provide secure access to eligibility, claims, and clinical functions. This means agentic AI can be layered on top to handle tasks that previously bogged down patients, providers, and administrators.

The same story plays out across industries:

  • A fintech agent creates an invoice through Stripe’s APIs.
  • A retail agent adjusts staffing using HR and scheduling APIs.
  • A logistics agent reroutes shipments by orchestrating supply chain APIs.

In every case, APIs are the indispensable bridge between an AI’s reasoning and real-world outcomes.

Why This Matters for Leaders

Leaders who think of APIs as minor technical connectors risk missing the bigger shift. As agentic AI moves from hype to reality, APIs will determine whether your organization can harness it to deliver value. If your APIs are robust, secure, and well-documented, they become the foundation for intelligent automation and new business models. If they’re neglected, your AI strategy stalls at the whiteboard.

Takeaway: Agentic AI is only as powerful as the APIs it can call. Leaders should treat APIs as strategic assets—the execution layer that will determine whether AI can move from promising demos to meaningful business outcomes.