Leading AI firms unite under Agentic AI Foundation to set agent standards
The AI world is coalescing around a new collaborative body. Earlier this month, several of the sector’s biggest names signed on to the Agentic AI Foundation, a nonprofit that promises to shape how autonomous software talks to the tools it needs. The move follows a rapid uptick in products that let conversational models act on their own—think agents that can schedule meetings, pull data from APIs, or stitch together workflows without human prompting.
Within a single year, projects like MCP, AGENTS.md and goose have shifted from experimental codebases to core components in a growing number of deployments. Industry insiders say the pace of that adoption is forcing a rethink of the loose, ad‑hoc integrations that have dominated so far. As firms scramble to keep their offerings interoperable, the pressure to agree on shared protocols has never been higher.
That’s why the foundation’s charter emphasizes a common language for agents, hoping to smooth the path for the next wave of self‑directed AI services.
---
Together, they aim to standardize how AI agents interact with external tools and operate across different systems. "We are seeing AI enter a new phase, as conversational systems shift to autonomous agents that can work together. Within just one year, MCP, AGENTS.md and goose have become essential to
Together, they aim to standardize how AI agents interact with external tools and operate across different systems. "We are seeing AI enter a new phase, as conversational systems shift to autonomous agents that can work together. Within just one year, MCP, AGENTS.md and goose have become essential tools for developers building this new class of agentic technologies," says Linux Foundation Executive Director Jim Zemlin in the press release.
Anthropic's Model Context Protocol launched in November 2024 and quickly established itself as the standard way to link AI models with external tools, data, and applications. More than 10,000 MCP servers have already been published, according to the Linux Foundation. The protocol is supported by Claude, Cursor, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, VS Code, and ChatGPT.
Block and OpenAI add key components Block, the company behind Square and Cash App, is contributing goose - an open-source framework for AI agents. Released in early 2025, it combines language models with extensible tools and MCP-based integration, giving developers a structured path for building agent workflows. OpenAI is contributing AGENTS.md, a standard introduced in August 2025 that gives AI coding agents project-specific instructions.
AAIF marks a new collaborative effort. Yet, the impact of a shared standard is still uncertain. By gathering OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, and others under the Linux Foundation's neutral umbrella, the initiative promises a common framework for agents to talk to tools and move across platforms.
Anthropic's MCP has already been highlighted as a core component, while AGENTS.md and goose have quickly become essential pieces within a year, according to the announcement. The consortium's goal is clear: define how autonomous agents interact with external systems without favoring any single vendor. However, the path from specification to real‑world adoption remains unclear, especially given the competitive dynamics among members.
If the standards gain traction, developers could rely on a consistent set of interfaces; if not, the effort may sit alongside existing proprietary solutions. The foundation's neutral stance may help, but it doesn't guarantee industry alignment. Observers will watch whether the agreed protocols translate into interoperable products or stay confined to a niche of open‑source projects.
Further Reading
- Linux Foundation Announces the Formation of the Agentic AI Foundation - Linux Foundation
- OpenAI, Anthropic and others unite behind Agentic AI Foundation for open standards - AI Native Dev
- Block, Anthropic, and OpenAI Launch the Agentic AI Foundation - Block
- Innovation Happens in the Open: Cisco Joins the Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF) - Cisco Blogs
More in Business & Startups
Meta may charge for future AI model, shifting from Llama 4 open‑source
Meta is eyeing a paid tier for its next AI system, a shift that would mark a clear break from the...
Quilter's AI designs 843‑part Linux board that boots on first try, defying 10% success norm
Hardware designers have long accepted a costly reality: most initial prototypes miss the mark.
Virtusa Acquires SmartSoC, Adds Semiconductor Chip Design to Cloud Services
Virtusa’s latest move pulls the curtain back on a strategy that’s been hinted at for months.
Amazon to invest USD 35 B in India by 2030, add 1 M jobs, digitise 1.2 cr small firms
Amazon announced a $35 billion infusion into India that will stretch to 2030, with a pledge to...
OpenAI appoints former Slack CEO as CRO, bringing 14 years at Salesforce
OpenAI’s latest hire signals a clear push toward the business side of artificial intelligence.
Common Questions Answered
What is the purpose of the Agentic AI Foundation as described in the article?
The Agentic AI Foundation is a nonprofit created to standardize how autonomous AI agents interact with external tools and operate across different systems. By gathering major AI firms under the Linux Foundation’s neutral umbrella, it aims to provide a common framework for agents to communicate and move between platforms.
Which projects are highlighted as essential tools for developers of agentic technologies?
The article highlights MCP, AGENTS.md, and goose as essential tools that have become core components for developers building autonomous agents within just one year. These projects enable conversational models to schedule meetings, pull data from APIs, and stitch together workflows without human prompting.
Which major AI companies have joined the Agentic AI Foundation initiative?
OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Microsoft are among the major AI firms that have signed on to the Agentic AI Foundation. Their participation under the Linux Foundation’s neutral umbrella signals a collaborative effort to develop shared standards for agentic AI.
What role does the Linux Foundation play in the new collaborative effort?
The Linux Foundation provides a neutral umbrella for the Agentic AI Foundation, facilitating cooperation among competing AI firms. Its Executive Director, Jim Zemlin, emphasizes that the foundation aims to standardize how AI agents interact with external tools across platforms.