Azure API Management Adds Dedicated AI Gateway Tier, Governing Models and MCP Tools

Microsoft released a dedicated AI Gateway tier of Azure API Management in public preview, with a control plane built around models, MCP servers and tools rather than APIs. It fronts Foundry, Bedrock, Vertex AI and OpenAI behind one endpoint, with policy cards instead of XML. Architects welcomed the consolidation while questioning where the governance boundary sits. By Steef-Jan Wiggers