What will 2026 hold for AI and APIs?

Bill Doerrfeld | December 11, 2025

Signs point to AI agents being the next big API consumer in 2026

To round out the year, I penned some predictions on how agents, MCPs, and APIs are likely to converge in the coming year.

Here are the key ten ideas summarized below. (The full article is on Nordic APIs!):

🔍 1. AI ROI Is Front and Center
I think the rush to push AI everywhere will make getting a return on investment more front and center.

🔗 2. Standards Will Converge for Agent-to-API
We will see more standards and best practices crystallize for agent-to-API communication.

🤖 3. AX Takes the Spotlight
More focus on agent experience as a third consumer type, along with new methods for exposing digital services.

🔄 4. More Mutable AI Flows
APIs will enable agents to do more than read requests, syncing multiple calls behind the hood.

🔐 5. Authorization Issues Will Be Clearer
AI will exacerbate existing access control issues around APIs, just as organizations are already experiencing.

📈 6. Some APIs Will Proliferate While Others Shutter
APIs that power new AI advances, data retrieval, partner integrations, data training, or AI-based SaaS will do well. APIs whose openness threatens the business will continue to shutter, as we have already seen.

📜 7. API Industry Standards Will March On
I am following MCP, OpenAPI, Arazzo, Overlays, and IETF-driven RFCs, and expect these to become more important, standard enablers.

💰 8. New API Business Models for AI
We are seeing new API business models emerge for AI that are more token-based or outcome-based.

📦 9. More API-as-a-Product Mindshare
Enterprises will start treating their API catalogs with better governance, stronger security, and more design awareness as APIs become increasingly important for gaining an edge in the AI era.

🌍 10. Community Matters
This was my last, albeit self-serving, prediction. I believe online communities and events (like Nordic APIs and the upcoming Platform Summit 2026 😉) will continue to be an important vessel for aggregating great minds and sharing helpful knowledge!