What Is an AI Gateway and Why Should You Care?

This post introduces and explains the concept of an AI gateway as a critical infrastructure component for managing LLM traffic. It details the functionalities of an AI gateway, including request routing, token/dollar-based rate limiting, credential management, prompt caching, failover capabilities, and cost attribution. The post contrasts AI gateways with traditional API gateways and outlines scenarios where an AI gateway is necessary, such as in multi-model environments, when multiple teams share LLM access, or when AI is on the critical path. It also discusses the integration of analytics platforms with AI gateways, advocating for BYOK patterns. The post aligns with the existing 'AI Gateway' feature thread by elaborating on the architectural and operational aspects of managing AI model interactions.