RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation)

Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) is a method in natural language processing (NLP) that combines the power of language models with information retrieval. In RAG, a query is first processed to retrieve relevant documents or data from a large corpus. This retrieved information is then used to augment the generation process of a language model, enhancing its ability to provide contextually rich and accurate responses.

How RAG Works

In practice, RAG operates in two main stages. First, given an input query, the model searches a large dataset (like Wikipedia) to find relevant documents. This is the retrieval part. Then, these documents are fed into a generative model (like GPT-3) which synthesizes the retrieved information to generate a coherent and contextually appropriate response. This method is particularly effective in scenarios where the language model needs external knowledge or specific information not contained within its pre-trained data.