What are Embeddings and Vector Databases?

Embeddings are numerical representations that capture the essence of information, allowing for efficient similarity searches, classification, and recommendations. By converting data into vectors, embeddings enable systems to find semantically similar items, such as books or words, quickly and accurately. These vectors are stored in vector databases, which facilitate rapid retrieval of relevant information based on user prompts. Embeddings are particularly useful in applications like semantic search and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems, although they have limitations, such as lacking transitivity and struggling with summarizing large datasets. Despite these drawbacks, embeddings are widely used due to their ability to simplify complex data retrieval without requiring a deep understanding of the data or its schema. They are often based on models like BERT and provide a foundation for more advanced data manipulation techniques. While they may not always provide perfect accuracy, their reliability and ease of use make them a valuable tool in data processing and retrieval.