A practical view on agentic AI and why we think MCP is not solving a relevant problem.

Yes, in the current AI hype discourse this statement almost feels like suicide, but I want to briefly explain why we at HybridAI came to the conclusion not to set up or use an MCP server for now.

MCP servers are a (currently still “desired”) standard developed and promoted by Anthropic, which is currently gaining a lot of traction in the AI community.

An MCP server is about standardizing the tool calls (or “function calls”) that are so important for today’s “agentic” AI applications – specifically, the interface from the LLM (tool call) to the external service or tool interface, usually some REST API.

With the current ChatGPT image engine generated – I love these trashy AI images a little and will miss them…

At HybridAI, we have long relied on a strong implementation of function calls. We can look back on a few dozen implemented and production-deployed function calls, used by over 450 AI agents. So, we have some experience in this field. We also use N8N for certain cases, which adds another relevant layer in practice. Our agents also expose APIs to the outside world, so we know the problem in both directions (i.e., we could both set up an MCP server for our agents and query other MCPs in our function calls).

So why don’t I think MCP servers are super cool?

Simple: they solve a problem that, in my opinion, barely exists and leave the two much more important problems of function calls and agentic setups unsolved.

First: Why does the problem of needing to standardize foreign tool APIs hardly exist? Two reasons. (1) Existing APIs and tools usually have REST APIs or similar, meaning they already use a standardized interface. These are quite stable, which you can tell from API URLs still using “/v1/…” or “/v2/…”. They remain stable and accessible for a long time. Older APIs are often still relevant – like those of the ISS, the European Patent Office, or some city’s Open Data API. These services won’t offer MCP interfaces anytime soon – so you’ll have to deal with those old APIs for a long time. (2) And this surprises me a bit given the MCP hype: LLMs are actually pretty good at querying old APIs – better than other systems I’ve seen. You just throw the API output into the LLM and let it respond. No parsing, no error handling, no deciphering XML syntax. The LLM handles it reliably and fault-tolerantly. So why abstract that with MCP?

In reality, MCP adds another tech layer to solve a problem that isn’t that big in daily tool-calling.

The bigger issues are:

–> Tool selection

–> Tool execution and code security

Tool selection: Agentic solutions work by allowing multiple tools, sometimes chained sequentially, with the LLM deciding which to use and how to combine them. This process can be influenced with tool descriptions – small mini-prompts describing functions and arguments. But this can get messy fast. For example, we have a tool call for Perplexity when current events are involved (“what’s the weather today…”), but the LLM calls it even when the topic is just a bit complex. Or it triggers the WordPress Search API, though we wanted GPT-4.1 web search. It’s messy and will get more complex with increased autonomy.

Tool execution: A huge issue for scaling and security is the actual execution of tool code. This happens locally on your system. Ideally, at HybridAI, we’d offer customers the ability to submit their own code, which would be executed as tool calls when the LLM triggers them. But in terms of code integrity, platform stability, and security, that’s a nightmare (anyone who submitted a WordPress plugin knows what I mean). This issue will grow with more use of “operator” or “computer use” tools – as those also run locally, not at OpenAI.

For these two issues, I’d like ideas – maybe a TOP (Tool Orchestration Protocol) or a TEE (Tool Execution Environment). But hey.

Agentic Chatbots in SaaS – How HybridAI Makes Your App Smarter

SaaS platforms have long included help widgets, onboarding tours, and support ticket systems. But what if your app had a conversational layer that not only explained features – but also triggered them?

With HybridAI, this is now possible. Our system enables you to create agentic chatbots that speak your domain language, understand user intent, and call backend functions directly via Function Calls and Website Actions.

From Support Widget to Smart Assistant

Traditional support widgets are passive: they answer FAQs or forward tickets. A HybridAI bot, however, can do things like:

  • Trigger onboarding steps (“Show me how to create a new project”)
  • Fetch user data (“What was my latest invoice?”)
  • Execute actions (“Cancel my subscription”)

All of this is powered by safe, declarative function calls that you define – so you stay in control.

How It Works

  1. Define Actions: You provide a list of available operations (e.g. getUser, updateRecord, createInvoice) and their input parameters.
  2. Connect via API or Function-Call Interface: HybridAI receives these as tools it can call from natural language.
  3. Bot Instructs + Responds: The chatbot interprets the user prompt, selects a matching function, fills in parameters, and calls it.
  4. Real-Time Feedback: The user receives immediate confirmation or result, without ever leaving the chat.

Integration Benefits

  • No coding required to get started – Just define what your functions do.
  • Frontend or backend integration via JS events or APIs
  • Custom styling + voice – the bot looks like part of your product
  • Multi-language and context-aware – excellent for international SaaS

Use Cases

  • CRM assistants that update leads or pull sales data
  • Analytics bots that explain dashboards or alerts
  • HR bots that automate time-off requests
  • Support bots that resolve issues without agents

Ready to Try?

You can test HybridAI’s function-calling capability today with our Quickstart Bot – no sign-up required.

And if you’re ready to bring this into production, reach out to us – we’ll help you integrate HybridAI into your stack in days, not months.

Real-life use at school

This week we tested HybridAI for the first time in a real school environment. The students of Stadt-Gymnasium Köln-Porz had the opportunity to spend a German lesson with us under the guidance of Sven Welbers – on the wonderful topic: Grammar!

What could possibly be better!

It was genuinely exciting, as we configured HybridAI according to the teacher’s specifications to present a detective story that could only be solved step by step by completing grammar exercises. Since the stories were generated by the AI, each student had a unique version, with delightful variations even when new stories were generated.

Throughout the lesson, the bot provided feedback on progress and occasionally injected humorous messages.

Conclusion: The students certainly had a lot of fun! Not always guaranteed with such topics. The teacher was impressed by the educational quality of this lesson. Despite the dry material, the students appeared engaged and focused.

In the near future, we will develop further examples for the educational sector. The next session with a bot on the topic “Konjunktiv I and II” is already being prepared!

You can see the grammar bot in action here:

What to Expect from an AI Chatbot for Your Website in 2025

The world of AI chatbots is evolving at a rapid pace, and 2025 will mark a new era in intelligent, interactive website assistants. Businesses and website owners can now integrate AI chatbots that go far beyond simple scripted responses. These AI-driven assistants are more powerful, engaging, and action-oriented than ever before. Here’s what you can expect from the latest AI chatbot technology—and why it might be time to upgrade your website’s chatbot.

Core Features: The Must-Haves for 2025

  1. Function Calling: More Than Just Chat
    AI chatbots are no longer just answering questions—they are taking action. With function calling, chatbots can trigger automated processes, retrieve live data, and even control external applications. Imagine a chatbot that not only tells your customers their order status but also updates it in real-time. Or think of a system that can call several APIs in the background and integrate the results in the ongoing chat seamlessly.
  2. Rich Media Display: Images & Videos
    Websites are visual, and chatbots should be too. In 2025, AI chatbots seamlessly integrate with media libraries, displaying images, GIFs, and even videos within the chat. This is ideal for product demonstrations, interactive customer support, or guided tutorials. Your Chatbot should offer an interface to upload and manage media-files in a way that the LLM can understand and use them, when the conversation would benefit from it.
  3. Logging and Analytics: Know Your Users
    Keeping track of chatbot interactions helps businesses refine their strategy. AI chatbots now log conversations, analyze engagement trends, and provide deep insights into user behavior—all from a single dashboard. That is important as you are planning to offload one of the precioust things you have – the conversations with your customers – to the AI. The Chatbot should offer an easy interface to observe the conversations and maybe even refine them where necessary. A download of Logfiles is also something you should expect for further analysis, for instance if you want to compile some KPIs or dig deeper into the conversations.
  4. File Upload & Sharing
    Chatbots now support file uploads from both users and website owners. Whether it’s customers submitting documents for verification or business owners providing deeper insight material for the AI, this feature enhances workflow automation. As everyone is using Chat-GPT from time to time these days users are expecting this functionality and therefore your ChatBot should offer it.
  5. Live Streaming Responses
    Speed is key. AI chatbots now stream their responses in real-time, ensuring a more natural and engaging conversation flow. No more waiting for a full answer—users see it as it’s generated. And it underlines the feeling of magic when people interact with AI systems – a nice flowing streamed response creates the feeling to speak to something special and fascinates many users.
  6. Multiple AI Models for Maximum Flexibility
    Why limit yourself to one AI model? Hybrid chatbots allow businesses to use multiple LLMs (Large Language Models) for different tasks, choosing the best tool for each interaction. This ensures higher accuracy and better responses. Sometimes it is because of certain functionality, sometimes it can be speed, but LLM-models also vary in other aspects like restrictions, openness or recency of the training material.

Next-Level Features: The Competitive Edge

  1. Payment Integration: Monetize AI Conversations
    AI chatbots are not just support agents—they can be sales tools. With payment integration (e.g., PayPal, Stripe), customers can complete purchases, subscriptions, or donations directly in the chat. The ChatBot should support some ways of offering paid messages to the users.
  2. Emotion Detection: Smarter, More Human AI
    AI chatbots are becoming emotionally intelligent. By analyzing user sentiment, they can adjust their tone, prioritize urgent messages, and escalate issues when frustration is detected.
  3. Human Takeover: The Perfect AI-Human Blend
    Sometimes, AI isn’t enough. The best chatbots now feature smooth human takeover, allowing human agents to jump into conversations when needed. This seamless transition ensures customers get the best of both AI automation and real human support.
  4. Task Management: Keep the user in the loop
    As Chat-Bots are evolving more and more towards full-blown agents and personal assistants you should expect some sort of task-management built into your Chatbot so that a user can say “please remind me of this workout tomorrow morning”.

Final Thoughts

AI chatbots in 2025 will be more than just digital assistants—they’ll be action-oriented, multimedia-rich, and deeply integrated with business processes. Whether it’s automating workflows, displaying visual content, or handling transactions, the next generation of AI chatbots will redefine how businesses engage with their audience.

If you’re looking to integrate an advanced AI chatbot on your website, now is the time to explore the latest technology and get ahead of the competition!

“Send me an email about this please.”

Everyone is currently fascinated by the developments in AI-based agent systems – even though it’s clear that a good part of it will be hype and nonsense.

But generally, the idea that AI is not just for chatting but can also do real things outside the chat window is good. We’ve already shown how the HybridAI system can, for example, call API functions in the background and how it is possible to control elements on a website via commands we developed, directly from the chat box.

Today, a new feature is being added, which, of course, is somewhat inspired by the current race for the best deep-research bot, but not just by that.

From now on, HybridAI bots can also send emails – but not ordinary emails, rather AI-based ones – and this is done with the currently most exciting ChatGPT competitor, Perplexity (which has also just released its deep-research agent). This is exciting because Perplexity is, on the one hand, a state-of-the-art LLM (a Llama variant, or alternatively, deep-seek). On the other hand, they make a big effort to be more current than all other LLMs, meaning up-to-date!

That’s why our first example yesterday was: “Send me a summary of JD Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference.” That was available just minutes(!) after the speech was held. But see for yourself:

We believe this will be very useful for certain bots, so for example, in the school sector, a student could say: send me a brief description of the topic ‘Präteritum.’ Or the Veggie-Diet bot could offer to send an email with a weekly plan:

We will next link this functionality with the system instructions of the bot so that this is taken into account when generating the email. There will also soon be “scheduled tasks” based on this, so something like “please send me a reminder every morning about my diet plan and a few meal suggestions.”

🔹 Connecting a ChatGPT Bot with WordPress

Many websites, lovingly built and maintained over the years, run on WordPress. However, some features—especially local search—have become somewhat outdated. So, let’s see if we can integrate a modern ChatBot to enhance WordPress…

If you self-host WordPress and are comfortable with it, you can simply copy the integration JavaScript snippet from the HybridAI backend (Tab: Integration) into your footer.php or header.php file.

But we wanted to make it even easier for everyone, so we developed a plugin! With this, you only need to enter your Chatbot ID in a settings page under “Settings” in WordPress—and voilà, the HybridAI ChatBot is up and running! You can now configure it just like any other WordPress element, adapting it to your site’s look & feel.

Now, your blog has a conversation bot powered by a modern AI backend, enriched with additional information and function calls to make it even smarter.

But of course, this is HybridAI—so there’s more…

We thought it would be really cool if the chatbot could use WordPress search via a function call to retrieve blog articles and provide instant results. And guess what? It works!

Soon, function calls will be configurable in the interface for every bot owner. That means you’ll be able to set your WordPress URL for this functionality.

Conclusion

HybridAI significantly enhances WordPress by adding a powerful ChatBot. And now, with a special function call, the bot can even search blog content and return clickable links as responses. 🚀

ChatGPT for Your Website – Step-by-Step Guide

Why ChatGPT Is So Fascinating

Artificial intelligence has made huge leaps in recent years, especially with LLMs (Large Language Models) like ChatGPT, which have revolutionized the way we interact with computers. Many users are amazed at how intuitive and helpful these systems are.

Whether for customer service, research, or creative tasks, the usefulness of ChatGPT increases significantly after just a short learning curve. But what if you could make ChatGPT even more customized?

Beyond a Simple Chatbot: Adding Domain-Specific Knowledge

One of the most exciting possibilities is enhancing the bot with your own knowledge. OpenAI offers Custom GPTs, which allow users to upload specific information—such as PDFs, databases, or manuals. This enables a chatbot to be perfectly tailored to individual use cases.

✅ Customize the chatbot with simple instructions for specific tasks
✅ Upload PDF files easily to provide domain-specific knowledge

Here the persona of the ChatBot is defined – in normal language, no programming skills required!
Here you can see how customer specific knowledge can be added to the Chatbot – by simply uploading relevant files

But that’s not all—modern AI chatbots are no longer just question-answering machines.

From Chatbot to Action Bot: An AI Assistant That Actually Does Things

Beyond simple conversations, modern chatbots can now perform real actions, such as:

✅ Retrieving data – e.g., comparing prices or fetching the latest information
✅ Placing orders – integrating directly into e-commerce platforms
✅ Highlighting elements on websites – for interactive guidance
✅ Triggering API-based workflows – connecting to calendars, CRMs, or internal tools

This is an example of a ChatBot that uses the ChatGPT Engine but also can query specific info from IT-Systems to answer questions more specifically for the user

These features transform a chatbot into a real digital assistant that doesn’t just respond to users but actually helps them take action.

The Big Question: How Can You Integrate ChatGPT into Your Website?

Answer: You can’t.

OpenAI does not offer a direct way to integrate ChatGPT into a website. If you were hoping to simply embed a ChatGPT button, you’ll be disappointed.

Luckily, there are alternatives.

HybridAI: The Perfect Solution for Website Chatbots

A better alternative is HybridAI, which leverages OpenAI’s powerful engine (the same technology behind ChatGPT) but provides the exact features needed for seamless website integration.

With HybridAI, you can:

🔹 Use ChatGPT functionality directly on your website
🔹 Upload PDFs and documents to provide domain-specific knowledge
🔹 Enable function calls to execute real actions
🔹 Create a fully customizable chatbot experience

That means: The full power of ChatGPT – but as a fully integrated solution for your website!
And even at a lower cost than OpenAI’s direct services!

Conclusion: AI Chatbots Are the Future of Websites

A smart chatbot can automate customer service, boost sales, and improve information access. While OpenAI does not offer a direct website integration, platforms like HybridAI provide a powerful solution for businesses and website owners looking for a custom AI assistant.

🚀 Try it now and transform your website with an AI chatbot!

How to Integrate HybridAI into Your Website – Step-by-Step

Integrating HybridAI into your website is incredibly easy and takes just a few minutes. You only need to add a small JavaScript snippet to your website’s HTML code.

1️⃣ Add the JavaScript Code

Insert the following script into your <head> or <body> section:

<script>
    window.chatbotConfig = {
        chatbotId: "YOUR_CHATBOT_ID", // Replace with your unique chatbot ID
        chatbotServer: "https://hybridai.one"
    };
</script>
<script src="https://hybridai.one/hai_embed.js?chatbotId=YOUR_CHATBOT_ID"></script>

(You get your chatbot ID by creating a free HybridAI account—it only takes a few minutes!)

2️⃣ Save and Upload

Save the file and upload it to your web server.

3️⃣ Done! The Chatbot Appears Automatically

Once the page is refreshed, a chat icon will appear in the bottom-right corner – your HybridAI-powered chatbot is now live! 🚀

💡 Try it out here on the blog! You can test HybridAI live at the bottom of this page to see how easily it integrates into websites.

The Beauty of Function-Calling

A key focus of HybridAI is “Function Calling”, which allows the AI to request other APIs and services in the background in specific situations and seamlessly integrate the output into the conversation. This can involve a wide range of tasks, such as querying weather services, stock market data, inventory systems, or even something as simple as retrieving energy prices for the next 24 hours—helping the user decide the most energy-efficient (and environmentally friendly) time to run their washing machine.

Or maybe you just want to know where the International Space Station is located at the moment…

As seen in the example with the Google Maps link, the AI can retain and reuse information in the ongoing conversation, even reformatting it when needed.

But of course, we wanted to take things one step further—because what would be the most logical function call for AI enthusiasts?
Naturally, the AI calling another AI!

This idea isn’t far-fetched at all, as there are now highly specialized AI systems, like Perplexity, which excels in retrieving real-time information.
So, let’s put it to the test—how many people protested against the AfD in Berlin yesterday?

Keep in mind, we’re currently chatting with ChatGPT 4.o-mini—an OpenAI model that is based on information from two years ago. This means it cannot know the answer to our question about the latest protests against the AfD in Berlin.

But that’s exactly why Function Calling is so powerful!

And of course, we can also ask about the current weather—for example, what’s it like right now in Auchenshuggle? 🚀

Cool, isn’t it?

If you have more ideas for function-calls or APIs that we should integrate, let us know. Or you just get your own HybridAI-Account for free here: https://hybridai.one/register

Agentic Chatbot Controls Website

In the video, you can see how a HybridAI ChatBot begins to step out of its chat box and starts controlling elements on the embedding website.

While this is not yet “agentic” in the way many imagine, it is a very pragmatic step from an AI chatbot that only talks to one that can actually take action. The value of website chatbots in customer interactions increases significantly with such functionality.

The Rise of Action-Oriented Chatbots in 2025

(Why This Year Marks the Great Leap from Conversation to Execution)

Chatbot Evolution Timeline
1960s: ELIZA (Rudimentary NLP) 1980s–2000s Rule-based Chatbots (Scripts & IF/THEN) 2010s–2022s Deep Learning Chatbots (Transformers & NLP) Future Agentic Systems (Autonomous & Action)

For decades, chatbots have been defined by their ability to converse. In the earliest days—dating back to the 1960s with ELIZA—they served mostly as novelty acts, reflecting user input through simple, scripted replies. Then came rule-based systems in the 1980s, followed by the deep-learning chatbots we rely on today. But 2025 is shaping up to be a watershed moment for chatbots: they are no longer just talking; they’re starting to take action on our behalf.

A Shift Beyond Conversation

Until recently, even the most advanced chatbots focused on interpreting user queries and offering relevant responses. Ask a chatbot what the weather is, and it gives you the forecast. Ask it for a recipe, and it might provide step-by-step instructions. These interactions improved dramatically thanks to deep learning and transformers, making conversation feel more natural. But fundamentally, they were still just “answer machines.”

Now, we’re witnessing the next evolution. Instead of limiting themselves to text-based chats, new-generation chatbots have the potential to perform tasks. Rather than just telling you the weather, they might turn on your smart heater. Rather than just suggesting a recipe, they could order your groceries from a partnering store. These systems are sometimes referred to as “agentic chatbots,” because they have the autonomy to act as an agent on your behalf.

Enter: HybridAI and Other Action-Oriented Systems

One prime example leading this charge is HybridAI. It’s designed to do more than talk: it can call specific API-actions during a conversation and even manipulate elements on the hosting web page if a user requests it. Imagine you’re browsing a shopping site and you ask the chatbot to add a particular item to your cart or apply a promotional code. Instead of replying with a link or instructions, the chatbot can just do it for you. This is a substantial leap from a typical conversation-only assistant.

HybridAI’s capabilities highlight a crucial point: people want chatbots that actually solve problems, not just talk about them. We’re seeing the dawn of chatbots that can handle everyday tasks—everything from scheduling calendar events to navigating complex enterprise workflows—at the user’s command.

The Hype Around “Agentic Systems”

The term “agentic systems” is currently a hot topic. Experts, tech enthusiasts, and enterprise leaders alike are buzzing about how AI-driven assistants may soon become fully autonomous, capable of orchestrating multiple APIs, services, and even hardware devices in the background. While these discussions are exciting, the reality is that it will take time to refine and scale these capabilities. Questions around reliability, security, and ethics must be addressed before chatbots gain wide autonomy across critical domains.

Nonetheless, 2025 is shaping up to be the Year of Chatbot Action, the tipping point where the first wave of agentic systems begins to enter mainstream use. We’ll see more prototypes and pilot programs adopting these features, proving the concept and building trust with end-users. Like every transformative technology, it won’t happen overnight. But it’s closer than many realize—and it’s sure to reshape how we interact with both the digital and physical worlds.

Why This Matters

The impact of action-capable chatbots is enormous. Businesses will gain efficiency by reducing repetitive workflows; end-users will enjoy seamless convenience in everyday tasks. If you think about it, the shift from just “talking” to “doing” echoes the broader trend in AI: we want collaborative, proactive, and truly helpful systems.

We might still be a few years out from fully autonomous agentic systems, but the seeds are planted. Tools like HybridAI show us the immediate possibilities—chatbots can learn your needs, integrate with apps you use, and execute tasks in real time. In short, the future is already making its way into the present. And if 2025 is indeed the “Year of Chatbot Action,” imagine how much further they’ll go by the end of this decade.

Exciting times lie ahead.

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