If I understand correctly, it requires your MCP server to have exactly two tools - search and fetch.
So this is not really support for MCP in general, as in all the available MCP servers. It’s support for their own custom higher-level protocol built on top of MCP.
Quote we're talking about: > To work with ChatGPT Connectors or deep research (in ChatGPT or via API), your MCP server must implement two tools - search and fetch.
Reference links:
- Using remote MCP servers with the API: https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides/tools-remote-mcp
- Which account types can setup custom connectors in ChatGPT: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/11487775-connectors-in-c...
Cause from TFA “To work with ChatGPT Connectors or deep research (in ChatGPT or via API), your MCP server must implement two tools - search and fetch.”
Also, this page is actually the only docs site about MCP they have, and their help articles link to it too.
- As an end-user, you can connect MCPs only with `search` and `fetch` that only work in deep research mode.
- As a developer, you can use MCP with the API and that supports the full set of MCP tools - all tools become available; this shows in the dev playground.
- For Custom GPTs, they support any action, but not MCPs. So if you had a layer to translate MCP to their API spec, it will work. But Custom GPTs with actions only support models 4o and 4.1; so you don't get the benefit of the o-series of models.
Figuring out what works when is harder than it needs to be.
ChatGPT desktop client with only search/fetch MCPs is far, far inferior to CC from a utility/value perspective.
Given how disastrous the AI 'industry' has been, between misappropriating data from customers, performing actions on behalf of customers that lead to data and/or financial loss, and then seeking protection from the law in one or more cases of these, isn't providing an MCP service essentially requiring you to notify customers of a GDPR-or-similar data compromise event at some point in the future when it suddenly but inevitably betrays you?
Like, isn't OpenAI just leading people to a footgun and then kindly asking them to use it, for the betterment of OpenAI's bottom line, which was significantly in the red for FY24?
Eg how I described here a while ago: https://x.com/wunderwuzzi23/status/1930899939737166075?s=46&...
Ironically, I have a blog post drafted that explains this also in detail, and should probably still publish it.
It’s disappointing they are gating this and browser agent for $100 users, and even for 100, it’s only two tool methods.
MCP servers can expose tools that are agents, but don't have to, and usually don't.
That being said, I can't say I've come across an actual implementation of a2a outside of press releases...
