AIP vs MCP: context vs conduct
MCP is the internal wiring that makes the agent capable. AIP is the diplomatic code that makes the agent trustworthy. One enables thought. The other governs action.
Clarifying the boundary between capability and control in the agentic web.
I have had a few questions on how AIP differs from MCP, so this note explains the distinction and how they relate inside the agentic web.
Both define how intelligent systems communicate, but they exist at different layers and serve different purposes.
The simple take: MCP is the internal wiring that makes the agent capable. AIP is the diplomatic code that makes the agent trustworthy. One enables thought. The other governs action.
MCP, Model Context Protocol
MCP manages context exchange between models and tools. It defines how a model such as GPT, Claude, or Gemini connects to external systems to retrieve data or perform an action.
It handles capability and context.
It allows a model to:
- Access structured context from APIs, files, or databases
- Extend reasoning through tools and functions
- Retrieve information in a controlled and auditable way
Think of MCP as the plumbing layer that provides data and functions to models. It makes the agent capable, but not autonomous.
AIP, Agentic Interface Protocols
AIP defines how an organisation allows the external world, including agents, models, and MCPs, to interact with its data and systems. It is the business’s control layer that governs access, compliance, and measurement.
It handles control, compliance, and governance.
AIP governs:
- How external agents and MCPs authenticate and request access to data
- What data can be shared, how it can be used, and under what rules or conditions
- How trust, permission, and auditing are enforced
- How performance, value exchange, and accountability are measured
AIP lives within the Organisation Layer, setting the brand’s perimeter of permission.
Where MCP connects models to tools and context, AIP defines how and when that access is permitted, ensuring every exchange is secure, transparent, and measurable.
In simple terms
| Layer | Focus | Description |
|---|---|---|
| MCP | Context | How models connect to data and tools |
| AIP | Conduct | How agents engage with business systems |
Analogy: MCP is how the brain connects to its senses. AIP is how it interacts with the world under a social contract.
The relationship
- MCP sits inside the Model Layer, close to the agentic browsers, LLMs, and context tools.
- AIP sits inside the Organisation Layer, between the models and the business systems, setting the rules of engagement.
MCP enables thought. AIP enforces control.