Vector databases & RAG: A technical insight into...

Introduction: Beyond the keyword search

Traditional search systems based on matching exact keywords quickly reach their limits in today's information flood. You cannot understand synonyms or the context of a request. Modern AI knowledge databases solve this problem by using vector databases and RAG framework (Retrieval-Augmented Generation).

The concept: From words to vectors

The basic idea behind the semantic search is to present the meaning of words and text sections in a mathematically comparable form. This is done by so-called embeddings.

"KI [knowledge database](/services/ki knowledge database)" → [0.12, -0.45, 0.87, ..., -0.23]

The special feature of these vectors is that texts having similar meaning also have vectors which lie close to one another in the high-dimensional space.

The vector database: The memory for meanings

A vector database is a special type of database optimized to efficiently store and browse high-dimensional vectors. Instead of looking for exact matches, it performs a Authenticity Search (Similarity Search).

1Save: Documents are converted into vectors and indexed 2Request: User request is also converted into a vector 3The database finds the most similar vectors (e.g. via Cosine Similarity) 4Result:** The corresponding text sections are returned

RAG: The bridge between knowledge and response

Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) is an architectural pattern that combines the strengths of LLMs with the topicality and reliability of an external source of knowledge.

The RAG process:

• Request: User asks a question

• Retrieval: Relevant text sections are retrieved from the vector database

• Augmentation: The request is enriched with the found context

• Generation: LLM generates a precise, fact-based response

The decisive advantage of RAG:

• Activity: Responses based on current verified information

• Lower hallucinations: LLM uses only provided information

• Sources: The system may indicate the origin of the information

Fazite

Vector databases and RAG are the core technologies already established today, which distinguish a "intelligent" knowledge database from a simple digital file cabinet. They enable a search that understands meaning and answers that are precise, up-to-date and trustworthy.

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