Model Context Protocol (MCP)

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard for connecting AI applications to outside tools and data sources. Instead of a custom connection for every pairing of AI application and system, a system exposes what it can do once, through an MCP server, and any AI application with an MCP client can use it.

A server can offer tools, which are actions such as running a query, resources, which are data such as files, and prompts, which are reusable instructions. Anthropic introduced the protocol in 2024, and it has since been adopted widely across AI products.

For example, an accounting system publishes an MCP server with a tool that lists overdue invoices. An AI assistant calls that tool to answer the question 'Who owes us money?'