Open tool/data protocols (MCP)
Also called: MCP, Model Context Protocol, connector standard, USB-C for AI
An open standard for connecting AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a common interface, so any compatible tool can be plugged into any compatible assistant without bespoke wiring for each pairing.
Standard connectors are how assistants get access to your files, systems, and actions at scale — which makes them powerful and puts the permission question at the centre. A connector still grants real access under a real scope; the standard changes how tools connect, not whether connecting is a trust decision.
A new capability of the model. The protocol is plumbing between an assistant and its tools; the model still only proposes calls, and the connector's scope still decides what can actually happen.