What it means
JSON, short for JavaScript Object Notation, stores data as readable text. A customer might look like {"name": "Harbor Group", "city": "Austin", "active": true}. Lists, numbers, text and nested records are all supported.
Almost every modern API sends and receives JSON, and AI models are often asked to produce JSON so their answers can be read by other software.
Why it matters for a business
When AI output feeds another system, it must be in a predictable format. Asking for JSON that matches a schema, and checking it in code, is what turns a model's answer into data you can trust.
A business example
Things to watch
-
Validate JSON against a schema before using it.
-
Handle missing or extra fields gracefully.
-
Keep dates and numbers in consistent formats.
-
Never trust JSON from outside sources without checks.