What is Model Context Protocol? The emerging standard bridging AI and data, explained

Chances are, unless you're already deep into AI programming, you've never heard of Model Context Protocol (MCP). MCP is rapidly emerging as a foundational standard for the next generation of AI-powered applications. Developed as an open standard by Anthropic in late 2024, MCP is designed to solve a core problem in the AI ecosystem: How to seamlessly and securely connect large language models (LLMs) and AI agents to the vast, ever-changing landscape of real-world data, tools, and services. The AI company Anthropic explained that as AI assistants and the LLMs behind them have improved, "even the most sophisticated models are constrained by their isolation from data -- trapped behind information silos and legacy systems. Every new data source requires its own custom implementation, making truly connected systems difficult to scale."