Model Context Protocol

What it means

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) defines how an AI assistant talks to a server that exposes tools and data. One server works with any assistant that supports the protocol. Anthropic released MCP as an open standard in November 2024, saying every new data source had needed its own custom integration.[Anthropic, Nov 2024] (opens the source) By December 2025 Anthropic had handed MCP to the Agentic AI Foundation, a new Linux Foundation body.[Linux Foundation, Dec 2025] (opens the source)

On your store

You connect your store's analytics to your AI assistant once. Then you ask in plain words how last week's coupon-extension sessions converted, and it answers from your data.

Why it matters

The Linux Foundation counted more than 10,000 published MCP servers a year after launch.[Linux Foundation, Dec 2025] (opens the source) The MCP specification says there should always be a human in the loop who can deny a tool call.[Model Context Protocol, Jun 2025] (opens the source) Anthropic tells users to connect only servers they trust, because a malicious one can try to inject instructions.[Claude Help Center, Oct 2026] (opens the source)

What Benson does

Benson's MCP server lets an AI assistant read your Benson data and propose changes, each of which waits for your yes.

Sources

1. 1Anthropic, “Introducing the Model Context Protocol”, Nov 2024. anthropic.com (opens the source)
2. 2Linux Foundation, “Linux Foundation announces the formation of the Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF), anchored by new project contributions including Model Context Protocol (MCP), goose and AGENTS.md”, Dec 2025. aaif.io (opens the source)
3. 3Model Context Protocol, “Specification (2025-06-18): Tools”, Jun 2025. modelcontextprotocol.io (opens the source)
4. 4Claude Help Center, “Get started with custom connectors using remote MCP”, Oct 2026. support.claude.com (opens the source)