Understanding MCP: The USB-C of AI Systems

Author: Pritika

Category: GEN-AI, GenAI

Published On: Mar 27, 2025

Introduction

Large Language Models (LLMs) have transformed AI applications, but they often lack real-time knowledge and struggle to interact dynamically with external systems. This is where MCP (Model Context Protocol) acts as a universal connector that allows AI models to access real-time data, APIs, and tools efficiently.

Think of MCP as USB-C for AI—a standardized way to connect LLMs to various data sources, just like USB-C allows you to connect different devices effortlessly. MCP ensures that AI applications are context-aware, flexible, and vendor-agnostic, making building intelligent agents and automation workflows easier.

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Why is MCP Important?

LLMs alone are powerful but limited by their static nature—they rely on pre-trained data and lack real-time awareness. Many AI applications require external data access to function optimally, such as:

  • A customer support bot accessing user purchase history.
  • A financial assistant retrieving livestock prices.
  • A travel planner fetching real-time weather and flight details.

 

MCP standardizes how AI models connect to external tools and data sources, providing:

  1. Pre-Built Integrations – LLMs can directly plug into a growing list of APIs and tools.
  2. Vendor Flexibility – Easy switching between different LLM providers (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral).
  3. Security & Compliance – Ensures data security while integrating AI models into enterprise infrastructure.

How MCP Works?

MCP enables AI models to interact with external data sources via a structured middleware layer. This consists of three core components:

 

1. MCP Adapters

These connect AI models to external APIs, databases, or tools. Examples include:

  • Weather API Adapter – Fetches real-time weather.
  • Calendar API Adapter – Checks user availability.
  • Stock Market Adapter – Retrieves real-time stock prices.

 

2. MCP Context Providers

These determine which external data is needed based on the AI’s task. For example:

  • If a user asks about the weather, the system fetches real-time data instead of relying on old knowledge.
  • If scheduling a meeting, the system checks calendar availability before responding.

 

3. MCP Middleware Layer

This acts as a traffic controller, ensuring AI models receive accurate, real-time context before generating responses.

Example: AI Assistant Using MCP

Without MCP (Limited AI)

👤: "Schedule a meeting with Alice tomorrow at 3 PM."

🤖: "I can’t do that." ❌ (No integration with the calendar)

 

With MCP (Smart AI)

👤: "Schedule a meeting with Alice tomorrow at 3 PM."

🤖 (via MCP): "Let me check your calendar... You’re free at 3 PM. Sending an invite to Alice now!" ✅ (Uses Google Calendar API)

Python Implementation: MCP in Action

Here’s a simple Python implementation showcasing MCP in AI agents:

 

import openai
import requests

class MCPAdapter:
    def fetch_weather(self, city):
        """Fetch real-time weather data"""
        api_key = "your_weather_api_key"
        url = f"http://api.weatherapi.com/v1/current.json?key={api_key}&q={city}"
        response = requests.get(url)
        data = response.json()
        return f"Current temperature in {city}: {data['current']['temp_c']}°C."

class MCPMiddleware:
    def process_query(self, query):
        adapter = MCPAdapter()
        if "weather" in query.lower():
            city = query.split()[-1]
            context = adapter.fetch_weather(city)
        else:
            context = "No external data needed."
        return self.query_llm(query, context)
    
    def query_llm(self, query, context):
        openai.api_key = "your_openai_api_key"
        prompt = f"User Query: {query}\nContext: {context}\nAI Response:"
        response = openai.ChatCompletion.create(
            model="gpt-4", messages=[
                {"role""system""content""You are an AI assistant."},
                {"role""user""content": prompt}
            ]
        )
        return response['choices'][0]['message']['content']

# Example Run
if __name__ == "__main__":
    mcp = MCPMiddleware()
    print(mcp.process_query("What is the weather in London?"))

Expected Output:

Current temperature in London: 15°C.

 

 

This demonstrates how MCP fetches real-time weather data before passing it to an LLM, ensuring accurate and contextual responses.

Real-World Use Cases of MCP

1. Financial Assistants: Retrieve live stock prices before providing investment insights.

2. E-commerce Chatbots: Fetch real-time inventory and pricing to help customers make informed purchases.

3. Healthcare AI Agents: Access patient records and medical history securely.

4. Customer Support Automation: Retrieve previous user interactions to provide better service.

 

MCP is a game-changer for AI applications, enabling LLMs to interact with real-world data rather than relying on static, pre-trained knowledge. By providing standardized ways to integrate AI with external tools, MCP makes AI-powered applications smarter, faster, and more useful.

 

 

We hope this clarifies what MCP does.

👉 Over to you: Do you think MCP is more powerful than a traditional API setup?

 

Thanks for reading!

 

***********

 

At Hashtrust, we specialise in building AI-agent-based solutions using the latest advancements in LLMs, agent-based systems, and intelligent automation. If you’re looking to integrate AI-driven workflows into your business, reach out to us at support@hashtrust.in.

 

🚀 Hashtrust: Your Partner in Building Cutting-Edge AI Agent-Based Solutions.

 

 

 


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