• Lesson
  • 25 min

Connect AI to Your Tools with MCP

Learn how connectors and MCP link ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Grok to outside tools, plus the permissions and safety checks that matter.

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Taught by Grant Harvey

Connect AI to Your Tools with MCP, from The Neuron Academy

What you'll learn

  • Explain how MCP connects an AI application to outside tools and data.
  • Distinguish built-in integrations from custom MCP connections.
  • Connect supported tools in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Grok.
  • Review authentication, read/write access, and approval settings before using a connector.

Curriculum

The shape of the lesson

One mark for every step, in the order you take them. 10 videos, downloadable notes and a certificate of completion.

  1. Connect AI to Your Tools: Connectors and MCP Explained

    • 10 videos

    See how MCP connects AI to outside tools, then compare the current connector workflows in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Grok with a practical permission and safety checklist.

    1. Connect AI to Your Tools: Connectors and MCP Explained
    2. MCP From First Principles
    3. Built-In Connections vs Custom MCP
    4. What You Are Actually Granting
    5. OpenAI: Plugins, Apps, and Custom MCP
    6. OpenAI: Plugins, Apps, and Custom MCP Part 2
    7. Claude: Connectors Are MCP-Native
    8. Gemini: Connected Apps and Spark MCP
    9. Grok: Built-In, Catalog, and Custom MCP
    10. Which Connection Should You Use?
  2. Downloadable

    Download the Lesson Notes for reusable prompts, authoritative links, and key points from the lesson.

    1. Download : Lesson Notes
  3. Certificate of Completion

    Congratulations! You just learned how connectors and MCP help AI work with the apps, data, and tools you already use. Your new superpower is knowing how to compare built-in connections and custom MCP options, check permissions before connecting, and use AI tools more safely and confidently.

    1. Certificate of completion

Your instructor

Grant is the voice of The Neuron, the daily newsletter delivering no-hype insights on how AI is changing the world around us, and co-hosts The Neuron’s weekly podcast.

Questions about this lesson

How long is this lesson?

It runs 25 min. Inside: 10 videos, downloadable notes and a certificate of completion.

Who teaches this lesson?

Grant Harvey. Grant is the voice of The Neuron, the daily newsletter delivering no-hype insights on how AI is changing the world around us, and co-hosts The Neuron’s weekly podcast.

Do I get a certificate?

Yes. Finish the lesson and you get a certificate of completion from The Neuron Academy.

Do I need to know how to code?

No. Like everything in the Academy, it needs no coding or technical background.

How do I get access?

This lesson is included in a The Neuron Academy membership. Start with a 7-day free trial, then choose a monthly or yearly plan. Cancel anytime. New lessons are added every week.

The Neuron Academy

Learn AI the way you read The Neuron: short, practical, no hype.

  • 73 courses and lessons, with new ones every week
  • Guided paths for 5 goals, from first prompt to first agent
  • A certificate for every course you finish
  • No coding or technical background required
Start your 7-day free trial

7 days free, then a monthly or yearly plan. Cancel anytime.

Connect AI to Your Tools with MCP

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