In the past few months, the AI circle has suddenly been flooded with news about MCP. This Model Context Protocol, launched by Anthropic at the end of 2024, is known as the "USB-C interface of the AI world". Simply put, it's like a universal socket that allows large models to easily connect to external tools, databases, and even physical devices, enabling a leap from just "talking" to "taking action".

Source note: The image is generated by AI.

The tech circle's pursuit of MCP has reached a crazy level:

• Giant companies are flocking in: More than 2,000 enterprises such as OpenAI, Google, Baidu, and Alibaba have announced their support for the MCP protocol.
• Capital is on a frenzy: The stocks of concept companies like Dongfang Materials have risen by over 15% in a single day, and the valuations of MCP-related enterprises have skyrocketed by 300% in half a year.
• It's a feast for developers: The number of MCP-related code repositories on GitHub has exceeded 50,000, with over 2,000 new tool plugins added every week.

Surprisingly, ordinary users are hardly aware of this "HTTP protocol of the AI world". While the tech circle cheers for the "plug-and-play" feature of MCP, most people are still frustrated because the voice assistants on their phones can't understand dialects. What secrets lie behind this stark contrast?

Four truths behind ordinary users' lack of awareness

1. The tech circle's celebration, a "black box" for users

The core value of MCP is to enable AI models to autonomously call external tools, but these operations are completely transparent to users. For example, when you ask "Is this phone durable?" on Taobao, the underlying AI might call three services under the MCP protocol:

• JD.com's product review database: It fetches 2,000 user feedbacks.
• AnTuTu benchmark system: It queries the phone's performance data.
• Battery life simulator: It predicts the phone's service life.

However, users only see a message like "Based on 100,000 user reviews, this phone has excellent battery life." This design of "only showing the result, not the process" makes users completely unaware of the existence of MCP.

2. A toy for developers, a mystery for ordinary people

The main tools in the current MCP ecosystem are:

• Cursor: A code generation IDE with an all-English interface that requires programming skills to operate.
• GitHub Copilot: An AI programming assistant with an annual fee of $19.
• Claude Desktop: An enterprise-level dialogue system starting at $50 per month.

These tools are like "Lego bricks for tech geeks". Ordinary users may need to spend a long time just to figure out how to install them, not to mention the "advanced operations" like configuring API keys and debugging environment variables.

3. The enterprise-level celebration, a lag at the consumer end

The main battlefield of MCP is in the enterprise service field:

• Finance and tax management: It automatically calls the ERP system to generate financial statements.
• Intelligent customer service: It can query order status in real time and automatically process refunds.
• Industrial quality inspection: It controls robotic arms through the MCP protocol to complete inspections.

These scenarios significantly improve enterprise efficiency (a manufacturing customer saw a 40% increase in quality inspection efficiency after using MCP). However, ordinary users only notice that "customer service has become smarter" or "logistics has become faster" without knowing the underlying technological innovation.

4. The double shackles of security and privacy

MCP services usually run in a local environment, and the code is completely transparent to users:

• Privacy risk: Personal information may be leaked when calling third-party tools.
• Black-box operation: Users can't review the AI's decision-making process.
• Permission chaos: Some MCP Servers have loopholes in unauthorized access.

These issues make ordinary users wary of MCP services. A survey shows that 67% of users are worried that "AI will secretly use my camera".

The key to MCP's "breaking out": From a technical protocol to user experience

1. Alipay's breakthrough: Making payment as simple as chatting

In April 2025, Alipay partnered with the ModelScope community to launch a payment MCP Server. Developers can add payment functions to AI agents using natural language. When users say "Reward the AI poet" in a chatbot, the system will automatically call the Alipay interface to complete the payment without redirecting to another page.

This innovation brings three changes:

• Development threshold: It has been reduced from three days of coding to five minutes of configuration.
• User experience: The payment success rate has increased to 99.7%, and the refund processing time has been reduced to eight seconds.
• Business closed-loop: AI applications have achieved full-process automation of "creation - reward - withdrawal" for the first time.

2. Baidu's ambition: Turning search into a super entry point

At the "Create2025" conference, Baidu announced that Baidu Youxuan fully supports the MCP protocol. When users say "Buy a phone under 5,000 yuan" in the search, the AI will automatically complete the following:

• Price comparison across the network: It calls the MCP Servers of platforms like JD.com and Tmall.
• Parameter analysis: It obtains review data through the MCP interface of ZOL (Zhongguancun Online).
• Ordering and payment: It connects to the Alipay MCP Server to complete the transaction.

This "search as a service" model has upgraded Baidu Search from an information entry point to a super platform where you can buy everything.

3. Amap's innovation: Making navigation an "extension" of AI

Amap has launched a location service MCP Server, allowing AI assistants to directly call map functions:

• In a dating scenario: It automatically calculates the midpoint between two people and recommends coffee shops.
• For travel planning: It generates itineraries based on real-time data such as weather and traffic.
• In an emergency: It can share the user's location and call the police by sending a voice command.

These functions have enabled AI to evolve from "answering questions" to "solving problems".

The future is here: How will MCP change your life?

2025 - 2026: The explosion of enterprise-level applications

In the financial industry: AI customer service will automatically handle 80% of business consultations.

In the medical field: Agents will assist doctors in diagnosis, increasing the accuracy rate by 30%.

In the manufacturing industry: Connecting production lines through the MCP protocol will reduce the failure rate by 50%.

2027 - 2028: The popularization of consumer-level products

In smart homes: When users give a voice command like "Water my plants", the system will automatically call IoT devices.

In smart cars: AI assistants will adjust the driving mode according to road conditions.

In the education field: Personalized learning plans will be automatically generated and adjusted in real time.

After 2030: The era of AI native

Digital avatars: The MCP protocol will connect all your data to create a personalized AI agent.

Virtual-real integration: AR glasses will access physical world resources through the MCP protocol.

Interstellar exploration: The MCP protocol will control Mars rovers to complete scientific research tasks.

How can ordinary people seize the MCP dividend?

1. Pay attention to the updates of consumer-level products

Alipay's All-in-One Box: It has launched over 50 MCP services covering payment, transportation, and education.

WeChat's "Ask a Question": It is in the beta testing phase for MCP plugins and supports calling services like food delivery and movie ticket booking.

Douyin's "AI Creation Assistant": It connects to the MCP Server to achieve "voice-to-short-video" generation.

2. Participate in the developer ecosystem

The ModelScope community: It provides 100,000 hours of free computing power and supports zero-code development of MCP applications.

Baidu Smart Cloud's Qianfan platform: It offers free hosting of MCP services and provides traffic support.

GitHub Copilot X: An AI programming assistant that supports the MCP protocol with an annual fee of $99.

3. Be vigilant about technological risks

Privacy protection: Choose reputable MCP service providers.

Permission management: Regularly review the permission settings of AI applications.

Data backup: Store important data locally to avoid relying on the cloud.

Conclusion: The "Cambrian explosion" of technology is coming

The explosion of the MCP protocol marks a new stage for AI from "stand-alone intelligence" to "ecosystem collaboration". While the tech circle cheers for this "USB-C interface of the AI world", ordinary users may still be struggling with the voice assistants on their phones. However, just like the HTTP protocol in the early days of the Internet, the true value of MCP will gradually emerge in the next five to ten years.

Perhaps in the near future, all we need to do is say to the air, "Arrange tomorrow's meeting for me," and the AI will automatically call tools such as calendars, meeting systems, transportation services, and restaurant reservation services under the MCP protocol to arrange everything for you. Behind all this is the silently operating "digital nervous system" - MCP.

The wave of technology never stops. All ordinary people can do is maintain their curiosity and look for their own opportunities in the midst of change. After all, when AI truly learns to "take action", the world will be completely different.