MCP (Model Context Protocol)
MCP is an open protocol defining one standard way to connect models to external data and tools. Created by Anthropic and released openly: an integration is written once and works with any application that supports the protocol.
The problem it solves
Before the protocol every application invented its own way of giving a model access to files, a database or an API. Connecting ten sources across three applications meant thirty separate implementations of the same thing.
MCP defines a shared interface: a server describes the tools and data it offers, and any client that speaks the protocol can use them. A source is connected once and becomes available everywhere.
The practical consequence is that a model stops being sealed inside its training. It reaches a company's current data, internal systems and actions, while staying inside the boundaries the server defines.
What to keep in mind
- Permissions live on the serverWhat a model may read and change is decided by the connected server, not by the model.
- Connecting is an act of trustA third-party server gets access to whatever you open to it. Install one as carefully as you would a browser extension.
- The protocol is openThe specification is public, implementations exist for several languages, and there is no lock-in to one vendor.
- It does not replace RAGMCP describes how to connect to a source. How to find the right thing inside it remains a separate problem.