0% found this document useful (0 votes)
12 viewsKnowledge Graphs v Vector Databases and when not to use them!
The document compares traditional vector databases with knowledge graphs for AI applications, highlighting the limitations of vector databases in handling complex knowledge structures. Knowledge graphs offer a structured approach that mirrors human cognition, enabling better contextual understanding and reasoning, but they can be resource-intensive and impractical for simpler applications. The document also discusses automated knowledge graph creation using LLMs and the benefits of multi-agent systems for knowledge graph enrichment.
Uploaded by
dollieyCopyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
12 viewsKnowledge Graphs v Vector Databases and when not to use them!
The document compares traditional vector databases with knowledge graphs for AI applications, highlighting the limitations of vector databases in handling complex knowledge structures. Knowledge graphs offer a structured approach that mirrors human cognition, enabling better contextual understanding and reasoning, but they can be resource-intensive and impractical for simpler applications. The document also discusses automated knowledge graph creation using LLMs and the benefits of multi-agent systems for knowledge graph enrichment.
Uploaded by
dollieyCopyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
/ 3
Knowledge Graphs vs.
Vector Databases
for AI and when not to use them.
Executive summary
Traditional Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) systems relying on vector databases
have become popular for enhancing AI capabilities, but they face significant limitations when
dealing with complex knowledge structures. While vector databases excel at finding similar
content through semantic search, they struggle to capture the interconnected nature of
information and often miss crucial relationships between concepts. Knowledge graphs offer
a compelling alternative by organizing data as entities and relationships in a structure that
more closely resembles human cognition, enabling AI systems to traverse information paths
more effectively and develop contextual understanding that goes beyond simple similarity
matching. However, despite their advantages, knowledge graphs aren't always the right
solution - following the fundamental engineering principle of "Keep It Simple, Stupid" (KISS),
these complex systems require significant resources to design, implement, and maintain,
making them potentially impractical for straightforward applications where the added
complexity and cost outweighs the benefits.
Key Limitations of Traditional RAG Systems
● Traditional Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) systems using vector databases
struggle with complex knowledge bases
● They often miss connections between similar data and broader themes across
information
● The flat structure of vector databases limits contextual understanding
Knowledge Graphs as a Superior Alternative
● Knowledge graphs offer structured, hierarchical information organization
● They mirror human cognition by representing data as entities and relationships
● Knowledge graphs enable more effective traversal of information paths
Fundamental Components of Knowledge Graphs
● Entities: Distinct objects, people, places, events, or concepts (nodes)
● Relationships: Connections between entities (edges)
● Communities: Clusters of related entities creating hierarchical granularity
GraphRAG: Automated Knowledge Graph Creation
● Large Language Models (LLMs) can automate the resource-intensive process of
building knowledge graphs
● GraphRAG (Microsoft tool) workflow:
1. Text is chunked into smaller segments
2. Entities and relationships are extracted using LLMs
3. Subgraphs are merged and summarized
4. Embeddings are created for nodes
5. Community detection algorithms group related entities
6. Community reports are generated and embedded for retrieval
Advanced Querying Techniques
● Local Search: Uses semantic search to find relevant entities, traverses the graph,
and combines connected information
● Global Search: Uses embedded community reports to answer broad thematic
questions (an area where traditional RAG struggles)
● Drift Search: Combines global and local search, using hypothetical document
embeddings to start with broad context before refining
Benefits for AI Agents
● Knowledge graphs provide AI agents with memory and ability to update information
over time
● They facilitate fact extraction and knowledge updating, crucial for maintaining
relevance
● As quoted: A knowledge graph "is the difference between a dumb AI agent and one
that blows everyone's mind"
Multi-Agent Systems for Knowledge Graph Enrichment
● Updating knowledge graphs with new information is complex
● Multi-agent systems with specialized agents for subtasks improve efficiency:
○ Document retrieval agents
○ Summarization agents
○ Entity extraction agents
○ Conflict resolution agents
○ Evaluation agents to assess knowledge quality
● These agents can be retrained periodically to adapt to new information
RAG vs. GraphRAG Comparison
● RAG treats everything as flat text chunks
● GraphRAG maintains structured relationships
● GraphRAG preserves context better
● GraphRAG enables multi-hop reasoning
● GraphRAG produces more complete answers
In summary, while vector databases have their place, knowledge graphs represent a
significant advancement for AI applications requiring complex reasoning, contextual
understanding, and the ability to update knowledge over time.
Why would you not use Knowledge Graphs?
● First rule of building systems, KISS. Keep it simple stupid. Complex systems are hard
to design, slow to build and easy to break.
● Knowledge graphs are expensive to build, sometimes thousands of API calls to LLMs
to construct and computationally intensive during retrieval.
● Storing and scaling knowledge graph setups is challenging.
● Defining schemas and structures for knowledge graphs may require domain expertise.
