// Model Context Protocol — the "USB standard" for connecting AI to tools
💡 The core idea: Before MCP, every AI app had to write custom code to connect to each tool (GitHub, Slack, files, databases). MCP is like USB — a single standard plug. Any AI that speaks MCP can use any MCP server. Write the tool once, use it with any AI. Created by Anthropic, now an open standard.
Model Context Protocol explained
❌ Without MCP — custom connectors
Claude ←custom code→ GitHub
Claude ←custom code→ Slack
Claude ←custom code→ Postgres
GPT-4 ←custom code→ GitHub
GPT-4 ←custom code→ Slack
GPT-4 ←custom code→ Postgres = N models × M tools = huge mess
✅ With MCP — one standard
Claude (MCP client)
↕ standard protocol
MCP Server: GitHub tools
MCP Server: Slack tools
MCP Server: Postgres tools
= Write server once, any AI uses it
WHAT MCP PROVIDES
Tools
Functions the AI can call — search, write file, send message
Resources
Data the AI can read — files, database rows, API responses
Prompts
Reusable templates the AI can use to do common tasks
Sampling
Server can ask the AI to generate text mid-task
Popular MCP servers you can connect to Claude, Cursor, and other AI tools:
0 / 6 steps
MCP = USB for AI tools
Before USB, every device needed its own connector. USB standardized the "plug" so any device works with any USB port. MCP does the same for AI: any AI that supports MCP can use any MCP server without custom integration code. Anthropic published the spec as open source — anyone can build MCP servers.
OPEN STANDARD BY ANTHROPICWORKS WITH CLAUDE, CURSOR, COPILOT