Why the Linux Foundation adopted MCP, with Jim Zemlin and Mazin Gilbert

Agentic AI is advancing rapidly, with open-source projects racing to keep pace with real-world deployment. To accelerate progress, the Linux Foundation consolidated key technologies—Model Context Protocol (MCP), Goose, and AGENTS.md—under the newly formed Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF) in late 2025. At the MCP Dev Summit in New York City, Linux Foundation CEO Jim Zemlin and newly appointed AAIF executive director Mazin Gilbert discussed this transition. Zemlin explained that leading both organizations was unsustainable, prompting a careful search for a leader with both technical expertise and collaborative leadership skills.