Embeddings Aren’t Magic: The Predictable Failure Modes of RAG Retrieval

Short summary

Embeddings and vector search effectively handle semantic similarity but fail predictably on negation, exact identifiers, and domain-specific acronyms. Understanding these failure modes is critical for building reliable RAG systems. The article examines why these failures occur and what approaches work when vector search proves inadequate.

• •Vector search fails on logical negation, exact ID matching, and specialized terminology
• •Understanding these failure modes prevents unreliable RAG system deployments
• •Alternative retrieval approaches needed for specific enterprise use cases

Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.