About this Session
Level: intermediate This workshop requires prior registration. Registration will open approx. four weeks prior to the conference.
MCP - the Model Context Protocol - gives you the power to connect anything to AI chat tools like Claude Desktop, GitHub Copilot, and more. It is the missing link between AI agents and the real world, giving AI chatbots and agents the ability to access external resources, use tools, and perform actions in ways that make what we think AI should be able to do actually possible.
In this workshop you’ll first learn how MCP works and experience live demonstrations of how it connects AI agents to real-world services. Next, you’ll go hands-on in a low-code environment, connecting MCP servers to Claude Desktop and GitHub Copilot to perform custom actions and see how the AI system interacts with external services of your choice and configuration. And finally, you’ll explore how to build your own custom MCP server in code with the help of AI coding tools to create your own custom connections between AI chat agents and your own services.
What’s covered:
MCP is one of the fastest evolving technologies in AI and Open Source. From its introduction in November 2024 until today it’s gone from an obscure Hack Day project to one of the most powerful, exciting, and terrifying technologies in the industry. By the end of this workshop you’ll:
- Be able to explain what the Model Context Protocol (MCP) is and how it works
- Know how to find and use MCP servers in Claude Desktop and other apps
- Understand the risks and opportunities involved with using MCP
- Have set up and connected various MCP servers to your own AI tools
- Know how to build your own custom MCP server from scratch
Prerequisites:
This is a hands-on workshop. To get the most from it you’ll need:
- A laptop with an internet connection
- A GitHub account (free, pro, edu, or enterprise)
- VS Code with GitHub Copilot installed
- A Claude account (free works, pro is better for experimentation)
- A Zapier account (free is sufficient)
- A healthy disrespect for the sanctity of technology (and your computer)
