Charlotte Java User Group

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Agents, Tools, and MCP, oh my! Next-level AI concepts for developers

AI is evolving fast, and so are the ways developers can integrate it into tech systems. A flurry of new approaches and tools surfaces every week, and it’s hard to know where to focus.
In this session, we will pull back the curtain on the next wave of AI development with agents, tool integrations, and Model Context Protocol (MCP). We will break down what AI agents are, how they interact with tools and APIs, and why context is critical for building smarter, more reliable applications. Next, we will look at MCP and how it standardizes communication between AI models and external systems.
Along the way, we will touch on related concepts and step through code and demos, giving you a complete roadmap to level up your AI skills. You won’t need a yellow brick road to follow along, but you will discover some magical new tricks to level up your AI skills!

About our speaker
Jennifer Reif is a Developer Advocate at Neo4j, speaker, and writer who helps developers make better use of their data. An avid developer and problem-solver, she explores databases, data modeling, and emerging technologies like AI through hands-on experiments, sharing what she learns at conferences and digital channels around the world. With a background in CMIS and a knack for untangling complex systems, Jennifer focuses on turning scattered data and complex topics into clear, understandable actions to build better applications.

Agenda
5:30pm – 6:00pm: Networking, food and drinks
6:00pm – 8:00pm: Talk session
8:00pm – 8:30pm: More networking