Donating the Model Context Protocol

Today marks a significant event as the Model Context Protocol (MCP) is donated to the Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF), a directed fund established under the Linux Foundation. This initiative is co-founded by major entities including Anthropic, Block, and OpenAI, garnering support from tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cloudflare, and Bloomberg.

Introduction of the Model Context Protocol

One year ago, the MCP was introduced as a universal, open standard designed to facilitate the connection between AI applications and external systems. The response has been overwhelming, with MCP now seeing substantial adoption across various sectors. Currently, there are over 10,000 active public MCP servers supporting a wide array of applications, from developer tools to deployments within Fortune 500 companies.

MCP Adoption Across Platforms

The versatility of MCP is evident, as it has been broadly integrated into various AI platforms including ChatGPT, Cursor, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and Visual Studio Code. This widespread adoption has enhanced its visibility and utility within the AI community. Furthermore, leading cloud providers like AWS, Cloudflare, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure have also begun offering infrastructure that supports MCP.

Achievements and Future Developments of MCP

In celebrating the first year of MCP, considerable strides have been made in its ecosystem. Notably, the introduction of a directory with over 75 connectors powered by MCP signifies growth and adaptability. Recent enhancements, including Tool Search and Programmatic Tool Calling within their API, underline a commitment to optimizing production-scale deployments by managing numerous tools effectively while reducing latency.

The establishment of an official, community-driven Registry and the release of new features such as asynchronous operations and server identity demonstrate a proactive approach to maintaining MCP’s relevance and usability. The launch of SDKs in all major programming languages, with impressive download figures exceeding 97 million monthly for Python and TypeScript, further emphasizes MCP’s popularity and accessibility.

Collaboration with the Linux Foundation

The decision to donate MCP to the Linux Foundation represents a significant commitment to keeping the protocol open-source, community-driven, and vendor-neutral. The Linux Foundation’s role as a non-profit entity dedicated to fostering sustainable open-source ecosystems underscores the importance of this donation. Its history of overseeing pivotal projects like The Linux Kernel and Kubernetes assures stakeholders of MCP’s potential for substantial impact.

The Vision for the Agentic AI Foundation

The Agentic AI Foundation aims to support the evolving domain of agentic AI by promoting transparent and collaborative development efforts. As part of this initiative, MCP will join foundational projects such as AGENTS.md by OpenAI and projects from Block, fostering innovation and maintaining the integrity of foundational technologies.

This dedication to incorporating community feedback and transparent governance ensures that the evolution of MCP remains aligned with the needs of users and stakeholders within the AI community.

Looking Ahead: The Importance of Open-Source AI

The ongoing commitment to open-source software is imperative for creating a secure and innovative landscape for agentic AI. The donation of MCP to the Linux Foundation is a pivotal step in maintaining the standard as neutral and community-oriented. Enthusiasm abounds as contributions to MCP and other projects under the AAIF continue, promoting growth in this exciting field. For further engagement, visit modelcontextprotocol.io and get involved with the AAIF.