Vector Databases for Modern AI: Build Reliable, Cost-Efficient Retrieval Systems That Scale
Modern AI systems don't fail because the models are weak. They fail because retrieval is slow, expensive, inaccurate, or impossible to operate at scale. Teams build semantic search, RAG pipelines, and personalization engines that look impressive in demos, then collapse under real traffic, real data, and real constraints. Latency spikes. Costs climb. Recall degrades. Trust erodes.
This book exists to solve that problem.
Vector Databases for Modern AI is a practical, production-focused guide to designing, building, and operating vector retrieval systems that perform under pressure. It shows how vector databases actually behave in real environments and how to make them reliable, predictable, and efficient as data and demand grow. Instead of theory or vendor hype, the book focuses on concrete system design choices, operational patterns, and proven practices used in modern AI platforms.
You'll learn how vector databases fit into real AI stacks, how embeddings and indexes shape retrieval quality, and how to balance speed, accuracy, and cost without guesswork. From hybrid search and metadata filtering to benchmarking, scaling, security, and version management, this book treats vector search as infrastructure, not experimentation.
By the end, you'll be able to:
Design vector database architectures for semantic search, RAG, recommendations, and personalization
Choose and tune indexes for the right balance of latency, recall, and cost
Build hybrid retrieval pipelines that combine vectors, filters, and business logic
Benchmark and performance-tune vector search with meaningful metrics
Operate vector databases safely with CI/CD, backups, versioning, and access control
Scale vector retrieval across large datasets and high-traffic systems
Avoid common production failures that lead to hallucinations, slow queries, and runaway costs
Whether you're an AI engineer, platform architect, or backend developer supporting modern AI features, this book gives you the clarity and practical guidance needed to ship retrieval systems that hold up in production.
