Surviving an interconnected world with API governance Mun Kiat Kok, Solution Architect at Tyk apidays Singapore 2025 Where APIs Meet AI: Building Tomorrow's Intelligent Ecosystems April 15 & 16, 2025 ------ Check out our conferences at https://www.apidays.global/ Do you want to sponsor or talk at one of our conferences? https://apidays.typeform.com/to/ILJeAaV8 Learn more on APIscene, the global media made by the community for the community: https://www.apiscene.io Explore the API ecosystem with the API Landscape: https://apilandscape.apiscene.io/

1. Surviving an
interconnected world
with API governance

2. Iʼm MK, I work at Tyk,
an API management startup

3. Surviving an interconnected
world with API governance

4. How we came full circle to
embrace API best practices

5. 2021
APIs as the backbone of the
interconnected world

6. 2022
APIs as a new revenue stream

7. 2023

8. 2024
AI management = API management

9. API
2024
Claude MCP

10. API
2024
Claude MCP

11. API
API
API

12. https://mcp.so/

13. 2025
AI  APIs

14. Source: Reddit
Work is transforming

15. Shopify CEO https://x.com/tobi/status/1909231499448401946/photo/3
Work is transforming

16. APIs
MCPs Outcomes
MCP Hosts / Agents

18. Good outcomes start with
Governance
API Design Access Management
Documentation

19. API Design
● GET /deleteUser/123
○ Confusing - Fetch data or retrieve?
○ Can anyone guess how the agent will
behave?
● 200 OK with “statusˮ: “errorˮ
○ Is it ok or not ok?
○ How will the agent behave?

20. API Design
● GET /deleteUser/123
○ Confusing - Fetch data or retrieve?
○ Can anyone guess how the agent will
behave?
● 200 OK with “statusˮ: “errorˮ
○ Is it ok or not ok?
○ How will the agent behave?
● Use design tools such as Stoplight, Postman and
Tyk for linting

21. Documentation
● Undocumented endpoints
● Poorly described functions
● Poorly documented OpenAPI
Good agents might catch ambiguity and not execute
Bad agents might execute based on their “assumptionsˮ
In either case, productivity is impacted

22. Documentation
● Undocumented endpoints → API gateways
● Poorly described functions → Stoplight
● Poorly documented OpenAPI → Stoplight
Good agents might catch ambiguity and not execute
Bad agents might execute based on their “assumptionsˮ
In either case, productivity is impacted

23. Access
Management
● What kind of access should agents have?
● How do we even “trustˮ agents?
● Can agents keep running API calls?

24. Access
Management
● What kind of access should agents have?
→ OAuth
● How do we even “trustˮ agents?
→ Dynamic Client Registration
● Can agents keep running API calls?
→ Rate limits/Quotas

25. Summary
AI is driving consumption of APIs via Tools
APIs → MCP  Agents → Outcomes
Good APIs are more important than ever for positive outcomes
Governance is important to ensure good APIs and good

26. Thank you!
Come talk to us to continue the
discussion or reach out:
Mun Kiat Kok
https://www.linkedin.com/in/munkiat-kok/
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