How do AI Agents actually do things?

AI agents are here – but how do they actually do things?

Everyone’s talking about AI agents. But here's the real question: How do they actually access information and take action?

Businesses today rely on countless digital tools—from calendars and email platforms to customer management systems and e-commerce applications. Typically, integrating new AI capabilities into these tools involves significant technical effort, ongoing updates, and substantial maintenance.

But what if AI agents could seamlessly interact with these existing tools, without continuous updates or complex integrations?

Enter the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Think of MCP as a lightweight, intelligent layer placed neatly on top of the systems your business already uses. Rather than recreating your current infrastructure, MCP enables AI agents to directly and effortlessly utilize your existing tools.

Here's how it works in practical terms:

Flexible Inputs: If an Agent can imagine it, the integration layer can consume it. Instead of making integrations that open up specific predefined reports from the reporting database, why not run reporting queries that the agent formulates for you based on your query. “Hey Agent, can you visualize last month's first-time purchaser’s ticket value” and continue with “Ok, now cross-reference those with our marketing campaign results”. Agent formulates the queries and chews up the results for you. But it’s not limited to those queries, ask whatever you like.

Automatic Discovery: When your business integrates a new tool—like a CRM system or a marketing analytics platform—the MCP automatically broadcasts the new capabilities. AI agents immediately recognize these additions and autonomously start utilizing them. This means no downtime, no updates required for the agents, and no extra burden on your IT department.

Flexible Integration: MCP uses a simple yet powerful format (JSON) already familiar to your technology teams. This ensures quick, straightforward, and low-cost integration.

Future-Proofed Industry Standard: The recent announcement by OpenAI endorsing MCP as an industry standard highlights its significance. MCP, managed by Anthropic, ensures your investment today remains relevant tomorrow. It took less than 6 months from publication of the Protocol to be adopted by players such as Sharepoint, DropBox, and HubSpot.
For example, imagine your business has recently integrated a new customer feedback system. Traditionally, making this feedback accessible to AI-driven analytics would involve extensive integration and manual configuration. With MCP, the moment this system becomes part of your infrastructure, AI agents automatically discover and start using the feedback data to enhance customer insights—immediately, seamlessly, and without requiring any additional configuration.

What is the impact?

For decision-makers, this means faster deployments, reduced costs, and greater agility in responding to market demands.

In essence, MCP makes your business smarter: not by reinventing your tools, but by seamlessly enhancing how AI can utilize what you already have. AI agents won't replace your team but instead supercharge your people, empowering them with extraordinary capabilities to achieve more, faster by getting AI to work as their sidekick.

Ready to see MCP in action and unlock your business’s full potential? Contact us today to start your journey.

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The writer, Jonas Pomoell, is the founder and lead consultant at Des Train AI Oy, helping businesses harness the full potential of generative AI. Specializing in practical, transformative AI agent implementations, Jonas guides companies in streamlining processes, boosting productivity, and driving growth with tailored, advanced AI solutions.