MCP: The Universal Adapter for AI Systems

A contribution from the AI Kantine by Michael Busch

Remember those handy universal adapters for foreign electrical outlets? The little helpers that let you connect electronic devices whether you’re in France, America, or Thailand? Exactly such a universal tool now exists for AI systems: the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

What is MCP?

MCP transforms AI applications like ChatGPT or Claude from pure conversation partners into active helpers. While AI systems previously could only explain how to accomplish tasks, with MCP they can now actually act:

Read and manage files
Interact with external services like GitHub
Retrieve Slack messages
Create notes
And much more – all in real time during the conversation

How does it work?

The system consists of two main components:

MCP Client: The AI application itself (ChatGPT, Claude)
MC P-Server: A small program that acts as an intermediary between the AI and external systems.

The MCP servers are often provided by the manufacturers of the respective services and can be found in a central directory. These servers allow the AI to directly interact with your data – be it in databases, file systems, or other services.

A practical example

I connected an MCP server to my file system and tasked the AI with organizing my cluttered download folder. The AI:

Analyzed the existing files
Recognized different file types (MP3s, videos, Word documents)
Created appropriate folders
Sorted all files accordingly

All this happened automatically, without I had to perform each step manually.

Current Challenges

Despite all progress, MCP technology is still in a sort of “Wild West” phase:

Installation can sometimes be bumpy
There are security concerns with certain applications
Authentication processes are often still complex and better suited to technically proficient users

Outlook

Anthropic, the company behind Claude, is driving MCP development strongly. Each new version makes setup easier. For technically advanced users, there is even the possibility to program their own MCP servers – essentially, these are Python programs.

Conclusion

The Model Context Protocol might not seem spectacular at first – similar to a travel adapter. But its significance becomes clear once you’ve used it. MCP connects AI systems with the real world and transforms them from purely language models into actionable assistants.

Like ei A good universal adapter belongs in every KI travel bag.

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