Working Knowledge
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05 · Getting Models to Act

MCP

Model Context Protocol

InterBuilders

An open protocol introduced by Anthropic for connecting AI applications to tools and data through a shared interface. Adoption is growing, but compatibility does not replace authentication, authorization, sandboxing, or product-specific integration work.

Concrete example

Rather than custom-wiring each integration, a tool exposes one MCP interface that any compatible model can use.

Why it matters

Useful interoperability plumbing when both the host and server implement it; not a guarantee that an integration is safe or complete.

GroundingTying an answer to external evidenceICLIn-Context LearningPrompt EngineeringPhrasing inputs for better outputsRAGRetrieval-Augmented Generation

Evidence

Sources for this definition

  1. 1
    Model Context Protocol specification

    Model Context Protocol · Documentation · checked 2026-07-13