Introduction
In a strategic move for the future of artificial intelligence, Anthropic has officially announced the donation of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to the newly established Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF). This initiative marks a turning point for AI system interoperability. The foundation operates as a directed fund under the Linux Foundation, ensuring neutral and open-source stewardship.
For more details on the announcement, you can consult the official post by Anthropic.
The AAIF was co-founded by industry giants such as Anthropic, Block, and OpenAI, and boasts support from critical infrastructure players including Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cloudflare, and Bloomberg.
Context: One Year of Model Context Protocol
Introduced exactly one year ago, the Model Context Protocol was born as a universal, open standard for connecting AI applications to external systems. The goal was to create a common language allowing AI models to interact with data and tools seamlessly.
Adoption and Key Figures
During its first year, the adoption of the protocol has been rapid and widespread:
- Vast Ecosystem: Today, there are over 10,000 active public MCP servers, used for both developer tools and within large Fortune 500 companies.
- Platform Integration: The protocol has been adopted by flagship products such as ChatGPT, Cursor, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and Visual Studio Code.
- Infrastructure Support: Major cloud providers, including AWS, Cloudflare, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, offer direct deployment support for MCP.
"We’re continuing to invest in MCP’s growth. Claude now has a directory with over 75 connectors (powered by MCP), and we recently launched Tool Search and Programmatic Tool Calling capabilities in our API."
Anthropic
The Birth of the Agentic AI Foundation
The decision to transfer the stewardship of the Model Context Protocol to the Linux Foundation aims to preserve the project's neutrality. The Linux Foundation, known for stewarding critical projects like Kubernetes, Node.js, and the Linux kernel itself, offers the ideal environment for collaboration free from proprietary constraints.
AAIF Goals
The Agentic AI Foundation was created with the purpose of:
- Ensuring that agentic AI (AI capable of acting autonomously) evolves transparently.
- Promoting collaboration among historical competitors in the public interest.
- Developing shared open standards through strategic investment.
In addition to the protocol donated by Anthropic, the foundation welcomes other founding projects such as goose by Block and AGENTS.md by OpenAI. This convergence of technologies under a single neutral roof aims to stimulate innovation across the entire agentic AI ecosystem.
The Future of the Standard
Despite the change in "ownership," the governance model of the Model Context Protocol will remain unchanged. The project maintainers will continue to prioritize community feedback and maintain a transparent decision-making process.
Recent updates to the specs, released on November 25th, introduced advanced features such as asynchronous operations, statelessness, and server identity. With over 97 million monthly SDK downloads (Python and TypeScript), the protocol is now a pillar of modern AI development.
FAQ
What is the Model Context Protocol?
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a universal open standard created to connect AI applications to external systems and data, facilitating interoperability across different platforms.
Who manages the MCP protocol now?
Anthropic has donated the protocol to the Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF), a fund managed by the Linux Foundation, to ensure its neutrality and open-source development.
Which companies support the Agentic AI Foundation?
The AAIF is co-founded by Anthropic, Block, and OpenAI, with external support from major tech companies like Google, Microsoft, AWS, Cloudflare, and Bloomberg.
Will the move to the foundation change MCP governance?
No, the governance model will remain unchanged, maintaining a community-driven approach and transparent decision-making to foster the agentic AI ecosystem.