What it is
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard, a single "port" through which an AI agent connects to data, APIs and tools. The metaphor is "USB-C for AI": one protocol instead of dozens of custom integrations written for each model.
Where it came from
Anthropic open-sourced MCP at the end of 2024. In 2025 everyone picked it up: Claude, OpenAI ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini. To lock in the standard's neutrality, OpenAI, Anthropic and Block co-founded the Agentic AI Foundation under the Linux Foundation.
Why it took off
By the end of 2025 there were 10,000+ published MCP servers. The standard solved the core pain of the agentic era: previously every integration (agent↔Slack, agent↔database, agent↔GitHub) was hand-written for one specific model. MCP made tools portable across models — and the ecosystem exploded.
How to apply it now
- Plug ready-made MCP servers (GitHub, databases, Slack, browser) into your agent instead of writing your own connectors.
- Wrap your internal tool in MCP and it works with any MCP-capable model.
- For a team this reduces vendor lock-in: switch models and your tools stay.
- Check the MCP server registries for your use case before writing an integration yourself.
What to watch out for
Supply-chain risk: someone else's MCP server gets access to your data and actions — audit the source and grant minimal permissions (scoped tokens). The standard is young and its security story is still maturing. Don't connect unvetted servers to production.