Model Context Protocol Launches to Bridge AI Systems with Data Sources

Posted on November 25, 2024

Anthropic has unveiled the Model Context Protocol (MCP), an open-source standard designed to connect AI assistants with various data sources and business systems. The protocol aims to eliminate data isolation issues that currently limit AI models' effectiveness.

The initiative introduces three key components: the protocol specification and SDKs, local MCP server support in Claude Desktop apps, and an open-source repository of MCP servers. Pre-built servers are available for popular platforms including Google Drive, Slack, GitHub, Git, Postgres, and Puppeteer.

Major companies like Block and Apollo have already integrated MCP, while development tools providers such as Zed, Replit, Codeium, and Sourcegraph are working to implement the protocol. Block's CTO Dhanji R. Prasanna emphasized the importance of open technologies in connecting AI to real-world applications.

The protocol enables developers to build against a standardized system rather than maintaining separate connectors for each data source. Existing Claude for Work customers can begin testing MCP servers locally, with broader deployment options planned for the future. Anthropic is developing MCP as an open-source project and welcomes community participation.