In this session, we will dive into the Model Context Protocol (MCP)—a powerful and evolving open standard designed to improve the way we interact with AI models during development. Whether you’re an AI practitioner, data engineer, or cloud developer, MCP opens new possibilities for structured and context-aware communication between IDEs and AI models.

We’ll explore:
- What is Model Context Protocol (MCP) and why it matters
- How Visual Studio Code (VSCode) leverages MCP to enhance AI-assisted coding
- The role of AI Foundry models and their integration with development workflows
- How to configure and run MCP locally using Azure resources (including demos)
- Real-world use cases and developer productivity boosts with context-aware coding

Live demonstrations will be included, covering everything from setting up your machine to using VSCode extensions with Azure-hosted AI Models to MCP.

Whether you’re new to MCP or looking to level up your development environment with Azure-powered AI, this session will provide you with actionable insights and tools.