Why APIs Matter for AI Engineers
Every AI model you build will eventually be served through an API. Whether it's a prediction endpoint, a RAG query interface, or a model management dashboard — APIs are how AI systems communicate with the world.
HTTP Methods
- GET — retrieve data (model predictions, status checks)
- POST — create or submit (send input for inference, upload training data)
- PUT — replace entirely (update model configuration)
- PATCH — partial update (adjust a single hyperparameter)
- DELETE — remove (delete a model version)
Status Codes
- 200 OK — success
- 201 Created — resource created
- 400 Bad Request — invalid input
- 401 Unauthorized — missing/invalid auth
- 404 Not Found — resource doesn't exist
- 500 Internal Server Error — server-side failure
Key Takeaway
REST APIs are the interface between your AI models and the applications that use them. Clean API design makes your models accessible and maintainable.