The Model Context Protocol (MCP), introduced by Anthropic in November 2024, is an open protocol standardizing how applications provide context to LLMs. Acting like a "USB-C port for AI applications," it provides a standardized way to connect AI models to different data sources and tools. MCP employs a client-server architecture to overcome the complex "MxN integration problem" by establishing a common interface, reducing complexity to M+N. This allows for more robust and scalable AI applications by eliminating the need for custom connectors and fostering a unified ecosystem for LLM integration.