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Model Context Protocol (MCP)

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard developed by Anthropic that provides a universal way to connect AI models to external data sources, tools, and services. MCP standardizes how AI applications communicate with integrations — similar to how USB standardized peripheral connections. It enables AI agents to access databases, APIs, file systems, and other services through a consistent interface.

Example

A developer configures MCP servers for their AI coding assistant — one connects to their GitHub repository, another to their database, and a third to their project management tool. The AI can now read code, query data, and update tickets through a single standardized protocol, without custom integration code for each service.

Related Terms

Agentic AITool Use (Function Calling)Large Language Model (LLM)Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)

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