What the heck is MCP? And why is everybody talking about it?
Model Context Protocol (MCP), introduced by Anthropic in late 2024, connects large language models to external data sources, enhancing functionality and usability for real-time interactions and automated tasks.
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Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard introduced by Anthropic in late 2024 that facilitates communication between large language models (LLMs) and external data sources. It allows AI applications, such as Claude and ChatGPT, to access relevant information and perform actions without the need for extensive custom integrations. MCP acts as a bridge, enabling LLMs to connect with various tools and data sources, enhancing their functionality and usability. Developers can create MCP servers that link AI applications to specific data, allowing for real-time interactions and automated tasks. The recent surge in interest around MCP is attributed to its potential to streamline workflows, improve debugging processes, and enhance personal assistant capabilities. Notable use cases include connecting AI to project databases for error analysis, managing calendars, and accessing real-time stock market data. The growing support from major platforms, including Microsoft’s Copilot Studio, has further fueled its popularity. As developers explore MCP's capabilities, it is expected to inspire innovative AI projects that leverage its open standard to improve productivity and efficiency.
- MCP is an open standard that connects AI models with external data sources.
- It enhances the functionality of AI applications by allowing real-time data access and automated actions.
- Recent interest in MCP is driven by its potential to streamline workflows and improve user experience.
- Major platforms like Microsoft are adopting MCP, increasing its visibility and usage.
- Developers are encouraged to explore MCP for innovative AI project development.
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Model Context Protocol (MCP) standardizes AI integration with external tools, simplifying development, enabling dynamic discovery, and facilitating real-time communication, while traditional APIs may still be preferred for precise control.
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8 commentsI’m writing this while supervising Claude desktop as it writes out a backend and frontend for a SaaS tool, all based on a simple concept.
Pasted in 10-ish paragraphs of product design and some rough bullet points about data model, stack, screens, and functionality. Then pressed enter and let it rip.
It’s doing its work by creating directories, running commands (eg “npx create-next-app”) and writing files to the file system.
So far it’s bootstrapped an entire python backend with all the right boilerplate, run create-next-app and filled in a full frontend with dozens of components and every page I asked for. I’m reading every line of code as it’s written. It is surreal watching the app magically appear, file by file, in the vscode sidebar.
Everything it’s doing has been according to best practices as of 2025. In an hour of approving tool usages and typing “Continue” into Claude Desktop, it one-shotted an app that could stand a decent chance at a hackathon.
It didn’t do everything in one shot: I had to ask it to make the test suite and had to ask it to replace mock calls in the frontend with real calls to the backend. It trips over when it generates large files, but happily splits them into smaller ones with the prompt “Continue, but split it into several files”.
Claude makes some really nice choices. This is making me seriously reconsider my 6-week-old Cursor subscription. This was all done using just Claude Desktop on macOS.
I’ve used the Atlassian MCP to help organize my backlog and consolidate tickets into epics, and to leave comments on tickets based on summaries of commits, and even transition tickets to testing and reassign them.
I’ve used the GitHub MCP to write PR descriptions too.
I think once we start getting hybrid MCP + LSP servers (with debugging support), the editors will get even smarter.
- Model Context Protocol on GitHub: https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol - Docs: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/introduction - Matt Pocock MCP Tutorial: https://www.aihero.dev/model-context-protocol-tutorial - Block's Head of Dev Rel's take on Agentic AI and the MCP Ecosystem (and a bunch of other articles): https://block.github.io/goose/blog/2025/02/17/agentic-ai-mcp...
[1] I get USB as a universal interface, but I have a drawer full of USB-C cables that all look alike. It are very different in their capabilities. I am thinking of throwing out all the cheapies and replacing them with $30 cables so I can charge my phone in less than a week.
But if it's a structured protocol, how can it be general enough to cover all use cases? (say the syntax of an obscure simulation language)
Related
Introducing The Model Context Protocol
Anthropic has open-sourced the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to enhance AI assistants' integration with data systems, improving response relevance and enabling developers to create secure connections and build connectors.
Model Context Protocol (MCP)
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) standardizes AI tool integration, enabling applications to access external resources and perform complex tasks through a client-server model, enhancing functionality with tools like iMCP and hype.
MCP vs. API Explained
Model Context Protocol (MCP) standardizes AI integration with external tools, simplifying development, enabling dynamic discovery, and facilitating real-time communication, while traditional APIs may still be preferred for precise control.
A Deep Dive into MCP and the Future of AI Tooling
The Model Context Protocol (MCP), introduced in late 2024, standardizes AI interactions with tools, enhancing integration and usability while addressing challenges like authentication and server discoverability for developers.
A Deep Dive into MCP and the Future of AI Tooling
MCP, introduced in November 2024, standardizes AI interactions with tools and APIs, enabling autonomous decision-making. It enhances coding environments and aims to improve user experiences while addressing authentication challenges.