What is Model Context Protocol (MCP)?

• Michael Willson
• June 16, 2025

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open-source standard that allows AI models to securely access and interact with external tools, apps, or databases. It’s like giving AI agents a standardized plug to connect with real-world data and systems—without custom integrations. MCP has become essential for AI assistants and agentic workflows that rely on accurate, up-to-date context to make decisions and complete tasks.

Why MCP is Critical for AI Agents

AI agents operate by taking action in digital environments based on input and available context. But traditional models are often isolated—they don’t know your files, calendar, or project systems unless you build a custom connector. MCP fixes this by enabling a shared, secure layer where any AI client can request structured information from pre-built tools called MCP servers.

This protocol gives agents superpowers: they can search documents, fetch task updates, draft reports, and even automate workflows based on real-time data.

How MCP Works

MCP is based on JSON-RPC 2.0, a lightweight data exchange format. There are two components:

• MCP Servers: These expose structured context like documents, messages, or database entries.
• MCP Clients: These are usually the AI agents or assistants that make calls to servers when they need information.

For example, when an AI assistant needs to pull a customer record, it simply sends a request to an MCP server that has access to the CRM.

Key Use Cases

• Smart agents for enterprises: Fetch reports from internal databases, generate meeting notes from emails, or suggest actions based on CRM data.
• Developer copilots: Suggest fixes by reading live code or GitHub issues through an MCP bridge.
• Knowledge workers: Summarize content from personal or cloud files securely.

How AI Agents Use Model Context Protocol 

Domain	Use Case	What MCP Enables
Enterprise Ops	Retrieve KPIs, update tasks	Connects to Jira, Notion, internal DBs
Customer Support	Review ticket histories	Pulls context from support tools
Marketing	Plan campaigns, schedule posts	Integrates with HubSpot, Google Drive
Coding/DevOps	Suggest fixes or deployments	Reads GitHub, CI/CD logs

Security and Governance

Security is built into MCP design. Leading platforms like Windows and AWS require user consent before MCP access. Risks like prompt injection, tool poisoning, and data leakage are real—but researchers are developing safety layers like:

• OAuth integration
• User permission prompts
• Activity audits
• Tool behavior validation

For agents to safely execute tasks, these guardrails are non-negotiable.

Risks & Safety Measures in Model Context Protocol

Risk Type	Example Scenario	Mitigation Strategy
Prompt Injection	AI misled to leak private data	Input sanitization, structured schema
Tool Poisoning	Malicious server manipulates output	Validate output, enforce trust rules
Unauthorized Access	AI reaches into restricted records	Consent-based access, scope limiting

Who’s Using MCP Today?

MCP adoption has grown fast. It’s now used by Anthropic’s Claude, OpenAI, Microsoft Copilot, Replit, Sourcegraph, and more. AWS and Azure offer support for developers to create secure MCP-compatible endpoints. Even tools like Claude Desktop use MCP to access local data with user approval.

This shows how deeply MCP is becoming embedded in AI workflows—especially for autonomous and semi-autonomous agents.

Why Professionals Should Pay Attention

Whether you’re building AI tools or optimizing business processes, understanding MCP is now part of the modern AI playbook. If you’re certified in AI or looking to become one, concepts like context protocols, agent autonomy, and tool integration are foundational.

This is exactly what the Deep Tech Certification from Blockchain Council equips you with—practical know-how of how systems like MCP fit into secure, scalable AI ecosystems. Pair this with Data Science Certification and Marketing and Business Certification to gain holistic insight into the use of AI in real-world applications.

Conclusion

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is not just a developer standard—it’s the bridge that empowers AI agents to think and act with context. As AI becomes more autonomous, protocols like MCP will be essential in shaping how safely and effectively these systems interact with the world.

If you’re building, deploying, or managing AI-powered systems, now is the time to understand how MCP transforms isolated models into truly intelligent agents.