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Evolution of Tool Use and MCP in Generative AI
58 minutes Posted Jan 23, 2026 at 7:01 pm.
Introduction & Welcome
Gautam's Background & Journey to AI Product Management
The Evolution of Tool Use in AI
What is Model Context Protocol (MCP)?
MCP vs Traditional API Integrations
Building Your First MCP Server
MCP Server Discovery & Architecture
Real-World Use Cases & Examples
Best Practices & Implementation Tips
The Competitive Landscape: Skills, Extensions, & More
Q&A: AI Agents & Infrastructure Predictions
Closing & Giveaway
0:00
58:11
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Show notes
Join us as Gautam breaks down the evolution of tool use in generative AI and dives deep into MCP.
Gautam walks through the progression from simple prompt engineering to function calling, structured outputs, and now MCP—explaining why MCP matters and how it's changing the way AI systems interact with external tools and data. You'll learn about the differences between MCP and traditional API integrations, how to build your first MCP server, best practices for implementation, and where the ecosystem is heading. Whether you're building AI-powered applications, integrating AI into your infrastructure workflows, or just trying to keep up with the latest developments, this episode provides the practical knowledge you need. Gautam also shares real-world examples and discusses the competitive landscape between various AI workflow approaches. Subscribe to vBrownBag for weekly tech education covering AI, cloud, DevOps, and more!
Timestamps
How to find Gautam:
https://gautambaghel.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gautambaghel/
Links from the show:
https://www.hashicorp.com/en/blog/build-secure-ai-driven-workflows-with-new-terraform-and-vault-mcp-servers
Presentation from HashiConf:
https://youtu.be/eamE18_WrW0?si=9AJ9HUBOy7-HlQOK
Kiro Powers: https://www.hashicorp.com/en/blog/hashicorp-is-a-kiro-powers-launch-partner
Slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/11dZZUO2w7ObjwYtf1At4WnL-ZPW1QyaWnNjzSQKQEe0/edit?usp=sharing