Generative AI tools are impressive, but I’ve long argued that they aren’t very useful in the real world unless they have access to more information than just their training data—and can actually do something with it. It’s this ability that allows AI tools to create usable content, offer useful insights, and perform actions that actually move work forward. Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a method of giving AI models the context they need and allowing them to take real action in other apps.