Plain English
API
A way for one piece of software to use another, such as your help desk sending text to an AI model.
Short for application programming interface: an agreed way for software to talk to other software. AI companies offer APIs so other tools and automations can send text to their models and get replies back, usually paid per use.
Why it matters
Many AI features inside other software run through an API, often with different pricing and data terms from the chat app. Check both when you connect a tool.
At work
Your help desk uses an AI model through its API to draft replies inside the tool your team already works in.
Think of it like a waiter between you and the kitchen: you order in the agreed way and the dish comes back, without you ever stepping into the kitchen.
Related terms
Where it appears