What is an AI Gateway? Concepts and Examples

The increasing integration of AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) is transforming digital applications and customer interactions, driven largely by the use of APIs. As AI becomes more prevalent, the demand for effective management and security of AI interactions has led to the development of AI Gateways, which serve as essential middleware for controlling access, monitoring usage, and ensuring compliance with regulations such as GDPR and HIPAA. These gateways differ from traditional API Gateways by offering specialized functions tailored to AI workloads, including prompt engineering controls, token usage analytics, and advanced data masking. By centralizing the management of AI traffic, AI Gateways address critical challenges in security, compliance, and cost management, enabling organizations to optimize their AI infrastructure and governance. As AI adoption grows, these gateways facilitate multi-LLM integration, providing a unified interface for developers to access various AI models, thereby enhancing operational efficiency and reducing the risk of security blind spots and fragmented systems.