MCP creates a standard protocol that allows AI agents to communicate with external apps and services using a common interface. AI assistants currently operate inside chat windows and require connectors to perform actions like sending emails or booking trips. MCP replaces custom-built bridges with a server that advertises available tools and their required inputs. Agents perform a handshake, receive a menu of tool signatures, and issue structured requests. The protocol reduces glue code, simplifies integration, and enables agents to use tools such as weather APIs, flight booking systems, and calendars. MCP aims to make tool integration plug-and-play across different AI agents and services.
Let's be honest. AI assistants are smart, but they're mostly stuck inside a chat window. They can write an email, but they can't send it. They can plan a trip, but they can't book it. To do real things, they need to connect to other apps and services - what developers call "tools." And right now, that connection is a mess.
Every time a developer wants their AI agent to use a new tool, like a weather API or a flight booking system, they have to build a custom bridge. It's like needing a different, clunky adapter for every single device you own. Think of it this way: Remember the days before USB? (If you are not that old, imagine it for understanding's sake.)
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