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What Is the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and How It Works

Large language models (LLMs) like Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and LlaMA have completely changed how we interact with information and technology. They can write eloquently, perform deep research, and solve increasingly complex problems. But while typical models excel at responding to natural language, they’ve been constrained by their isolation from real-world data and systems.

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) addresses this challenge by providing a standardized way for LLMs to connect with external data sources and tools—essentially a “universal remote” for AI apps. Released by Anthropic as an open-source protocol, MCP builds on existing function calling by eliminating the need for custom integration between LLMs and other apps. This means developers can build more capable, context-aware applications without reinventing the wheel for each combination of AI model and external system.
Before and after MCP

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