
The Emergence of the Model Context Protocol (MCP)
In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, one significant leap has been the introduction of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) by Anthropic in November 2024. This innovative open standard is designed to enhance the integration of large language models (LLMs) with various external data sources and operational tools.
Early Adoption and Integration
OpenAI has taken the lead in adopting the MCP standard, applying it across several of their offerings, including the ChatGPT Desktop app and the Agents SDK. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, expressed excitement about MCP’s potential, stating:
people love MCP and we are excited to add support across our products.available today in the agents SDK and support for chatgpt desktop app + responses api coming soon!
— Sam Altman (@sama) March 26, 2025
Expanding Ecosystem of Developer Tools
Numerous developer tools, such as Zed, Replit, Windsurf, Cursor, and VSCode, have integrated the MCP framework to significantly bolster their functionality and user experience.
Google Joins the MCP Revolution
Most recently, Google has announced its intention to support the MCP standard. Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, highlighted this development in a post on the platform X, stating:
MCP is a good protocol and it’s rapidly becoming an open standard for the AI agentic era. We’re excited to announce that we’ll be supporting it for our Gemini models and SDK. Look forward to developing it further with the MCP team and others in the industry.
Understanding the Functionality of MCP
The Model Context Protocol operates by creating a standardized framework that connects two primary components: MCP Clients and MCP Servers. MCP Clients encompass AI-driven applications, such as chatbots and productivity tools, which require access to external resources or functionalities. In contrast, MCP Servers provide structured interfaces for data sources, tools, or prompt templates.
Components of the MCP Framework
The MCP architecture includes three fundamental components:
- Resources: This category covers various data objects, including documents, images, and other forms of information.
- Tools: These are executable functions that allow the model to retrieve necessary information or carry out specific tasks.
- Prompts: These structured templates help direct the model’s actions for particular tasks or domains.
The establishment of the Model Context Protocol marks a significant stride towards more coordinated and efficient AI applications, and its increasing adoption signals a promising future for industry collaboration and innovation.
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