AI is catching on with API builders

Synthetic intelligence has caught on with software program builders who construct APIs, with 60% of respondents to a latest Postman survey saying they’re utilizing generative AI of their jobs. This was simply one of many key findings in Postman’s 2023 State of the API Report, which is predicated on a survey of 40,000 builders and API professionals.

Greater than half of the survey respondents use AI to search out bugs in code, and greater than a 3rd depend on AI to generate code. When requested what sort of venture most excites builders within the coming yr, the main reply was constructing AI-powered apps.

Senior API builders had been a lot much less probably to make use of AI instruments than junior builders, besides to generate paperwork and feedback. Builders in authorities and protection had been the least probably to make use of AI instruments, whereas these in schooling had the best uptake price at 65%. Requested what degree of productiveness profit they count on AI instruments akin to ChatGPT or GitHub Copilot to ship in the course of the subsequent two years, the most important share of respondents (about 42%) mentioned 10% to 25%.

Postman’s 2023 State of the API Report, the corporate’s fifth annual survey of API professionals, was launched June 27. The report tracks developments in API administration and utilization by querying API professionals and builders on matters akin to API instruments, the way forward for APIs, and growth priorities. The survey was carried out from late April to early June. Anonymized, aggregated knowledge from the Postman API platform additionally was factored into the report.

Different key findings of the 2023 State of the API Report:

• Almost two-thirds of respondents mentioned their APIs generate income. Of those respondents, 43% mentioned their APIs generate greater than 1 / 4 of firm income.
• Ninety-two % mentioned investments in APIs will rise or keep the identical in the course of the subsequent 12 months.
• API safety improved for many respondents, with the frequency of incidents dropping in 2023. However some sectors fared worse than others. Respondents within the automotive, schooling, and retail sectors mentioned that incidents had occurred at higher-than-average charges.
• Worth is a prime consideration when deciding whether or not to combine with an API.
• Based mostly on knowledge from the Postman Public API Community, the 5 hottest API collections (these most frequently forked) in the course of the previous yr had been the Salesforce Platform APIs, WhatsApp Cloud API, Twitter API v2, Notion API, and PayPal APIs.
• REST stays the most-used API structure, with 86% utilizing it. However this was down from final yr’s 89% determine and 92% in 2021.