AI deployment in regulated industries such as pharmaceuticals, financial services, and insurance presents unique challenges due to strict compliance requirements and the need to protect sensitive data. Despite these hurdles, AI offers significant potential benefits, including accelerating drug discovery, enhancing fraud detection, and improving risk modeling. The pharmaceutical industry, in particular, is poised for transformation through AI, as companies like GSK demonstrate by using AI-powered models to personalize cancer treatments. To safely and effectively implement AI in regulated sectors, a three-layer strategy is recommended: identifying high-value AI use cases, ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks, and applying AI governance to mitigate risks. This involves building a robust API strategy, which includes securing universal access through a consistent interface, protecting AI and large language models with security and compliance measures, and facilitating discovery and consumption of services. Data privacy remains a significant concern, necessitating careful handling of sensitive information. A unified platform such as Kong Konnect can help streamline these efforts, offering a comprehensive solution for securely and responsibly deploying AI at scale in regulation-heavy environments.