MCP and Multi-Agent Systems

Every tool needed its own custom connection, which was slow, and messy. A new standard, called the Model Context Protocol, or M C P, fixes that. And when one agent is not enough, several can work as a team. In this lesson, you will learn both ideas.

• A standard plug for tools
• One connection, many tools
• Teams of agents

What MCP is

Think of M C P as a universal plug, like U S B for A I. Before, every app needed custom code, to connect to every tool. With M C P, a tool, such as a calendar, or a file store, is wrapped once as an M C P server, that describes what it can do. Any M C P aware assistant can then discover, and use it. Build the connection once, and use it anywhere.

1. Tool providerwraps a tool as an MCP server
2. Standard protocolone shared language
3. AI assistantdiscovers the available tools
4. Use anywhereno custom glue code

What MCP servers offer

An M C P server can offer three kinds of things. Tools, actions the assistant can run, like create an event. Resources, information it can read, like files, or database records. And prompts, ready made instructions, for common tasks. Because they follow one standard, assistants can use thousands of them, without new code. As always, only connect servers that you trust.

Agents working as a team

Sometimes, one agent is not enough. A multi agent system gives different jobs to different agents, like a small company. A planner breaks down the task. A researcher gathers facts. A writer drafts the result. A reviewer checks it. They pass work to each other, in a loop, until the reviewer is satisfied. Teams of specialists, can beat a single generalist, on complex work, but they cost more, and need careful design.

1. Plannerbreaks down the task
2. Researchergathers the facts
3. Writerdrafts the result
4. Reviewerchecks and sends back

Summary