The Model Context Protocol (MCP) addresses the scalability challenge of connecting AI agents to external tools. Previously, each AI model-tool combination required custom integration, leading to a complex M×N problem where M is the number of models and N is the number of tools.

MCP, created by Anthropic and released as open source in November 2024, acts as a universal standard, akin to USB for computer peripherals. It enables two-way connections between data sources and AI tools through a single client-server protocol. This eliminates the need for custom point-to-point integrations.

The MCP architecture involves three participants: the Host (the AI application), the Client (managing the protocol connection), and the Server (housing tools, resources, or prompts). Tools are executable operations, resources are read-only data access, and prompts are reusable templates. This standardized approach allows any MCP-compatible AI host to discover and utilize any MCP-compatible tool or data resource, shifting the focus from engineering integrations to determining necessary agent access.