API
Level 1
An agreed way for two pieces of software to talk to each other.
Term 6 of 7 in Data and databases
In plain language
An application programming interface is a defined door: send a request in the expected shape, get a predictable response. AI models are almost always used through one.
Think of it like this
A restaurant pass. You do not enter the kitchen, you hand over a ticket and receive a plate.
Why it matters
APIs are how AI gets into products at all. When people talk about "the OpenAI API" this is what they mean.
Next terms in Data and databases
- DatasetA collection of examples gathered for a model to learn from or be tested on.
- Structured and unstructured dataStructured data lives in neat rows and columns; unstructured data does not.
- EmbeddingA list of numbers that captures the meaning of a piece of text or an image.
- Vector databaseA database built to store embeddings and find the closest matches fast.