Definition
Plain language
A standard way for AI agents to call external tools and get structured results back.
As stated in the literature
Model Context Protocol, a 2024 standard that defines how LLM agents invoke external tools and consume their structured responses in agentic systems.
Also called: Model Context Protocol
Why it matters: By standardizing tool calling, MCP makes agents portable across models and tools, turning what used to be bespoke integrations into plug-ins.
For example, an MCP-compliant calendar tool exposes 'list_events' and 'create_event' actions that any MCP-aware agent can invoke without custom glue code.
Heard on the show
“It's called the Model Context Protocol — MCP — and it was standardized in twenty-twenty-four.”Episode 039 — When Smarter Agents Get Fooled by Three Extra Nodes in a Database