How can external applications interact with AIP agents?

• A. GraphQL APIs
• B. REST APIs
• C. SOAP Web Services
• D. FTP Protocol

Answer: (B)

REST APIs provide the standard, scalable way for external applications to talk to AIP agents. They expose actions as HTTP resources that you interact with using familiar methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE, and they typically exchange data in JSON. This approach is language-agnostic, widely supported, and easy to secure with tokens or OAuth, making integration straightforward across different platforms.

GraphQL offers flexibility in how data is requested, which can be useful for complex data needs, but it adds architectural complexity and tooling requirements that aren’t necessary for typical agent interactions. SOAP Web Services are heavier and older, with strict contracts and XML envelopes, making them less convenient for modern integrations. FTP is just for file transfers and isn’t suitable for calling actions or retrieving structured results from a live service. So, REST APIs are the practical, common choice for external applications to interact with AIP agents.