OpenAI, Anthropic and Block have created the Agentic AI Foundation, an organization that will work for the umbrella and address of the Linux Foundation and that will have the support of large companies such as Google, Microsoft, AWS, Bloomberg and Cloudflare.
If last year large language models underpinning the AI revolution were the dominant trend in the tech world, this year the industry has realized that LLMs alone are not enough and AI agents are the need of the hour. Consequently, all major technology companies have announced products and services focused on agentic AI.
One of the main problems with these agents is that they are based on proprietary technologies, which makes them less interoperable. Furthermore, for these agents to reach their full potential, developers and companies need reliable infrastructure and accessible tools on which to build them. The Agentic AI Foundation wants to be that place where they are established open and transparent practices that make more predictable, interoperable and secure the development of AI agents.
AGENTS.md
Each founding company has donated some technology to the Linux Foundation. OpenAI has done it with AGENTS.md. Released in August 2025, it has become a universal standard for AI coding agents and has been adopted by more than 60,000 open source projects.
AGENTS.md is a simple, open-format Markdown file, designed to guide AI coding agents rather than human developers. It functions as a README file for agents, providing structured, machine-readable instructions on a project’s build steps, testing procedures, code style guidelines, workflows, security considerations, and other context that help AI agents work effectively within a code base.
MCP
Another important technology donated is the MCP de Anthropic. It is a protocol that in just over a year has been included in 10,000 published servers. Even Microsoft is starting to position AI agents as first-class components of Windows by integrating this on-device protocol and logging directly into the operating system. MCP is also generally available in Visual Studio, allowing developers to connect AI agents to external tools, services, and workflows through standardized MCP servers, simplifying interoperability and automation.
Additionally, Block aporta Goosean open source framework for AI agents, “on machine”, that can run locally on the user’s machine instead of requiring exclusive execution in the cloud. Goose uses MCP as a fundamental part of its architecture.
Agentic AI Foundation, is all that glitters gold?
Although the new foundation is an undoubted advance, not everyone is satisfied and media focused on open source like Nerds They also point out their shortcomings and criticize what in their opinion is “a foundation that comes as a preventative shield against criticism, rather than a genuine invitation to collaboration”. Although the participation of the Linux Foundation provides credibility, “that does not eliminate the influence of the corporations that finance the entire effort. A directed fund is not the same as a grassroots project,” they say.
“The whole talk is largely based on the idea that agential AI is entering production in the real world and needs guidance. It’s true. But if these companies really believed in openness, they would open what matters: your models, your training data, your security tools and your decision-making processes».
Nerds believes that each partner contributes something that is intended to simulate participation. However, in his opinion, “none of these contributions affect the fundamental assets that truly define your competitive advantage”. The open source world knows this pattern well: “When tech giants seek community goodwill, they open up little tools at the edges while keeping the real crown jewels under lock and key”they point out.
¿Agentic AI Foundation is really opening Or simply a refined way of maintaining control while being cooperative? They end up wondering. It never rains to everyone’s liking…
