# What is MCP, and is it complicated?

**The prior:** ~~MCP is complicated plumbing~~

## The short answer

MCP, the Model Context Protocol, is an open standard, introduced by Anthropic in 2024, for connecting AI applications to tools and data. Think of it as a power strip: every tool gets the same plug, so you don't wire each one by hand. The plug is the easy part. The real decision is what the AI is allowed to touch. Reading your calendar is one thing. Sending email, moving money or deleting records is another. Before connecting anything, list which actions are safe to run without asking, which need a person to approve, and which should never be available at all. Then connect only what the outcome needs. Most of the work in an MCP setup isn't plumbing. It's deciding, in advance, what you'd be comfortable with the AI doing while nobody is watching. Start with read-only access and add permissions one at a time.

## Outcome first
- Decide what the AI may touch.
- The plug is the easy part.

By Eduardo Martínez, updated 2026-10-19. Source: https://rethinkyourpriors.com/priors/mcp/

---
Rethink your priors by Eduardo Martínez. AI implementation. Outcomes over tools. And everything else.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rethinkyourpriors · Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rethinkyourpriors/ · Work with Eduardo: https://edumartinez.ai/