Semantic search
Expanded definition
Semantic search encodes queries and documents into a shared space and retrieves nearest neighbors. Production systems almost always hybridize with BM25 or other lexical signals so SKUs, error codes, and rare names still match. It is the retrieval style behind many RAG stacks, but it is not RAG until a generator consumes the hits. Evaluate with labeled queries, not demo anecdotes.
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Semantic search FAQ
What is Semantic search?
Semantic search ranks results by meaning, usually with embeddings, rather than by exact keyword overlap alone.
How is Semantic search used in AI systems?
Semantic search encodes queries and documents into a shared space and retrieves nearest neighbors. Production systems almost always hybridize with BM25 or other lexical signals so SKUs, error codes, and rare names still match. It is the retrieval style behind many RAG stacks, but it is not RAG until a generator consumes the hits. Evaluate with labeled queries, not demo anecdotes.
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