Windows Insiders get a glimpse of Microsoft’s agentic future

Microsoft has begun rolling out a public preview of native support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP) in the latest Windows 11 Insider builds, edging its much-touted “agentic OS” vision closer to reality.

The update is rolling out to Windows Insiders on the Dev and Beta channels as part of build 26220.7344 and provides insight into where Microsoft is going with the technology. At first glance, it looks far better thought-out than the disastrous Windows Recall unveiling, but users might still be a little jumpy about the prospect of agents running in the operating system.

Microsoft previewed the functionality at its Build event earlier this year, but the Windows Insider Dev and Beta releases indicate what the service will look like when it's out in the wild.

MCP is an open standard that provides AI agents with a universal way to connect with apps, tools, and services. Think ...