Session 18: MCP | Model Context Protocol
Presenters
MCP: Model Context Protocol
The Model Context Protocol (MCP), developed by Anthropic in November 2024, is an open standard designed to streamline how large language models (LLMs) interface with external tools, data, and software systems. It addresses the challenge of integrating AI with various environments by offering a universal protocol—likened to a “USB-C for AI”—enabling seamless context exchange using a client-host-server architecture with JSON-RPC.
MCP’s architecture includes three core components: Resources (data accessed via URIs), Tools (invokable functions with schema validation), and Prompts (templates for guiding interactions). It supports multiple transport protocols like stdio and HTTP/SSE. Implementations are available in Python, TypeScript, and Java, with platforms like Zed, Replit, Block, and Apollo already integrating it for enhanced developer and enterprise experiences.
Security is a significant concern, particularly with “tool poisoning” attacks, where malicious actors can manipulate tool behavior through hidden instructions. The protocol’s future plans include a registry for service discovery, expanded multimodal support, and more advanced agent workflows. Community-driven development remains key to MCP’s evolution and adoption across AI applications.