MCP is great. But what i'd like to understand is whats the difference between MCP and manually prompting the model a list of tools with description and calling the specific function based on the llm response ?
1. it makes tool discovery and use happen elsewhere so programs become more portable
2. it standardizes the method so every LLM doesn't need to do it differently
3. it creates a space for further shared development beyond tool use and discovery
4. it begins to open up hosted tool usage across LLMs for publicly hosted tools
5. for better or worse, it continues to drive the opinion that 'everything is a tool' so that even more functionality like memory and web searching can be developed across different LLMs
6. it offers a standard way to set up persistent connections to things like databases instead of handling them ad-hoc inside of each LLM or library
If you are looking for anything more, you won't find it. This just standardizes the existing tool use / function calling concept while adding minimal overhead. People shouldn't be booing this so much, but nor should they be dramatically cheering it.
You can build all the tools yourself, or you can just go to a "tools store", install it and use it. MCP is just the standard everyone can use to build, share and use these tools.
Just like an app store, a chrome extension store, we can have a LLM tools store.
aurumque|11 months ago
2. it standardizes the method so every LLM doesn't need to do it differently
3. it creates a space for further shared development beyond tool use and discovery
4. it begins to open up hosted tool usage across LLMs for publicly hosted tools
5. for better or worse, it continues to drive the opinion that 'everything is a tool' so that even more functionality like memory and web searching can be developed across different LLMs
6. it offers a standard way to set up persistent connections to things like databases instead of handling them ad-hoc inside of each LLM or library
If you are looking for anything more, you won't find it. This just standardizes the existing tool use / function calling concept while adding minimal overhead. People shouldn't be booing this so much, but nor should they be dramatically cheering it.
philomath_mn|11 months ago
I think most of the hype around MCP is just excitement that tool use can actually work and seeing lots of little examples where it does.
Watching Claude build something in Blender was pure magic, even if it is rough around the edges.
mercenario|11 months ago
Just like an app store, a chrome extension store, we can have a LLM tools store.
victorbjorklund|11 months ago
esafak|11 months ago