Emerging
MCP (Model Context Protocol)
An open protocol that standardizes how AI applications connect to external data sources and tools, enabling models to access real-time information and take actions beyond text generation.
Explained at five levels
Level 1
A way to plug extra tools and data into AI — like adding new apps to your phone so it can do more things.
Level 2
A standard that lets AI models connect to external tools, databases, and services — so the AI can look up real data, run code, or use apps instead of just chatting.
Level 3
An open protocol that standardizes how AI applications connect to external data sources and tools, enabling models to access real-time information and take actions beyond text generation.
Level 4
A client-server protocol for exposing tool schemas, resources, and prompts to LLM applications, providing a standardized integration layer between AI assistants and external services.
Level 5
An open interoperability protocol defining JSON-RPC interfaces for tool invocation, resource retrieval, and prompt templating — enabling composable AI systems with standardized capability discovery, authentication, and schema negotiation across heterogeneous service providers.
Definitions are educational summaries. Terminology can vary by source and context.
Sources
- NIST Trustworthy and Responsible AI Resource Center: Glossary — National Institute of Standards and Technology. Accessed 2026-07-20.