I’ve been thinking about where the integration industry is heading, especially with all the AI developments we’re seeing lately. Do you think we’re close to having AI systems that can automatically create integrations without much human input? I’m wondering what would happen to platforms like MuleSoft and other iPaaS vendors if AI gets good enough to handle most integration work. Maybe we’ll see AI-powered tools that let regular business users build their own integrations without needing technical expertise. What’s your take on this? Are the major tech companies going to protect their integration business, or will AI eventually make these platforms less relevant? Just curious about everyone’s thoughts on how this might play out.
Been working with integration platforms for over a decade - AI isn’t replacing them anytime soon. Here’s why.
Integration isn’t just connecting APIs. You’re dealing with business logic, edge cases, failures, and keeping data consistent across systems. I’ve watched teams spend months figuring out how one legacy system talks to another.
Sure, AI helps with code generation and basic mappings. We already use AI tools to speed things up. But when something breaks at 2 AM and you’re bleeding money, you need someone who knows the full architecture.
The real opportunity? Making integration platforms smarter with AI. Better error handling, automatic retries, predictive maintenance. MuleSoft and others are already moving this way.
Business users building integrations sounds great in theory. But I’ve watched non-technical people struggle with simple workflows. Data transformation, security, compliance - AI doesn’t magically make these easier.
My take? Integration platforms will absorb AI features instead of getting replaced. Platforms that adapt will win. Those that don’t will die.
Integration work will change but won’t vanish. Someone still has to architect, monitor, and fix things when they break.
Different take here - I think we’re missing how fast AI picks up domain patterns. I’ve been testing newer AI models for integration work, and while they can’t replace platforms yet, the speed of progress should worry traditional iPaaS vendors. It’s not about AI replacing human expertise completely. It’s about making integration accessible to way more people. When AI understands plain English requirements and spits out working code, you don’t need as many specialists. I’ve seen demos where you describe what data moves between systems, and AI handles the transformations plus common errors. MuleSoft and others might survive if they go AI-native, but their current model of charging premium for complex tools is at risk. Why pay enterprise licensing when AI tools do 80% of the job for way less? Real disruption won’t come from existing vendors slapping AI onto old systems. New players will build AI-first platforms from scratch. I’d guess 3-5 years before we see serious market shake-up.