Context standardization
The practice of ensuring that external data, tools, and environmental information are presented to llms in a uniform, machine-readable, and predictable format to optimize reasoning, tool use, and interoperability.
Integration & Evolution
- Requirement for External Interaction: llms require interaction with external data sources, services, and tools to expand utility beyond static training data.
- Traditional Mechanisms: Historically achieved through APIs, which provide specific but often fragmented connections to data.
- Protocol-based Standardization: The model-context-protocol (MCP) is emerging as a way to relate APIs to the specific needs of agentic-ai, facilitating more seamless integration of context.
Source: 2026 04 14 MCP vs API for LLM by IBM