In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has become deeply embedded in both our daily lives and professional environments. Yet, developers continue to grapple with the complexities involved in integrating AI models with external tools. In November 2024, Anthropic introduced the open-source Model Context Protocol (MCP), described as the "USB-C" of AI, aiming to address the complexities of connecting AI models with various external tools seamlessly. The MCP protocol is quickly gaining traction as the industry standard for modular, efficient, and scalable AI integration.
Why Do We Need MCP?
Traditionally, developers faced challenges like "data silos" and fragmented interfaces when integrating AI models with enterprise systems or other tools. For example, a business wanting its AI assistant to access local CRM systems and remote document repositories to generate customer reports would require developers to create specific adapters for each system. Any changes or additions to these systems would necessitate significant redevelopment efforts.
The MCP protocol solves these repetitive and labor-intensive problems through a unified JSON-RPC interface, enabling developers to integrate any AI model with various tools and data sources effortlessly. With MCP, there’s no need to handle each connection's intricate details individually, making AI system design more maintainable and extensible.
Current Major MCP Servers
| Category | Example Projects |
|---|---|
| Official Reference | Filesystem, Fetch, Memory, Sequential Thinking, Google Drive, Slack, GitHub, Postgres, Puppeteer, Stripe (via MCP) |
| Community Extensions | Salesforce, MediaWiki, Open Library, Microsoft 365, QGIS, QuickChart, RabbitMQ, MongoDB, Trino, CalDAV, Home Assistant (via MCP protocol) |
| Vertical/Tools | php-mcp/server, mcp-server-qdrant, Peekaboo, Apple Notes, Google Keep, Miro, Compresto (MCP-compatible) |
Install MCP for Claude
For specific steps, please refer to https://modelcontextprotocol.io/quickstart/user
Download MCP Server
Download MCP server from Github
Add MCP to Claude Desktop
Edit MCP configure in Claude Desktop
Reboot Claude
After restarting, you should see a slider icon in the bottom left corner of the input box, and clicking on the slider icon, you should see the tools that come with the Filesystem MCP Server.
Practical Use Cases
- Software Development: Real-time access to IDE projects through MCP, helping developers write and debug code efficiently.
- Enterprise Assistants: Rapid access to internal resources like CRM systems and corporate documentation via MCP to generate real-time reports.
- Agent Orchestration: AI can efficiently invoke multiple MCP-exposed tools and resources to automate complex tasks such as data analysis and notifications.
Security Challenges and Protective Measures
Although MCP provides significant advantages, it also brings potential security risks such as tool impersonation attacks, permission misuse, and credential leaks. The academic and industrial communities have proposed safeguards including OAuth authorization, multi-layer access controls, and security scanning tools to effectively mitigate these threats within the MCP ecosystem.