What the Heck is Model Context Protocol?

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard designed to help AI systems, like large language models, connect to the outside world. Think of it like a universal adapter, similar to a USB port, but for AI. Before MCP, every integration an AI needed—whether to access a database, check a calendar, or search a file system—required a separate, custom-built connector. This was inefficient and difficult to scale. MCP provides a single, standardized framework, allowing AI to seamlessly access external data and tools. This enables AI agents to go beyond their training data to perform real-world tasks and provide more relevant, context-aware responses.