MCP: The new "USB-C for AI" that's bringing fierce rivals together
a year ago
- #Open Source
- #Model Context Protocol
- #AI Collaboration
- OpenAI and Anthropic, competitors in the AI assistant market, collaborated due to a shared technical challenge: connecting AI models to external data sources.
- Anthropic developed the Model Context Protocol (MCP) in November 2024, an open specification to standardize AI model connections to external data sources.
- MCP is likened to a 'USB-C port for AI applications,' aiming to unify connections similar to how USB-C standardized cables and ports.
- MCP has gained cross-platform support, with Microsoft integrating it into Azure OpenAI and OpenAI endorsing it in its Agents API documentation.
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman publicly supported MCP, stating excitement to add support across OpenAI products.
- Community interest in MCP is growing, evidenced by over 300 open-source servers on GitHub, spanning domains like databases, development tools, and specialized applications.