Own Your Data: RAG Pipelines for Secure AI
March 11, 2024Vidar Daniels
If you are reading this, then I suspect one of two things – you are either a business owner looking for ways to keep using AI in a private way or you want to know more about what a RAG pipeline is and why is it any different. Am I close? If so, this article will delve into both topics, providing comprehensive answers tailored to your specific needs.
You’ve likely heard of ChatGPT or maybe even used it yourself. These are large language models, or what we call LLMs for short. They’re powerful tools that can write different kinds of text, from translating languages to creating stories. But for businesses needing reliable and private results, relying solely on LLMs can be risky. Why? Because they’re trained on massive amounts of web data, which can sometimes include inaccurate or unreliable information. Additionally, the privacy surrounding this training data isn’t always clear. This is where Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines come in. They’re a game-changer for businesses because they address both privacy and reliability concerns. How? RAG pipelines use the information you already have in your own databases and systems, keeping everything private and secure. This reliable information then fuels the text generation, creating content that’s tailored to your specific needs. So you get accurate, private content that you can trust.
Ready to unlock the full potential of RAG pipelines? Keep reading.
Should You Use ChatGPT or Have a RAG Pipeline?
ChatGPT has its charm. It’s ability to generate text, translate languages, and produce creative content can be, indeed, the first point of contact for businesses that seek to streamline tasks and enhance their online presence. However, before you hit “generate”, you should consider some limitations too.
There are two main drawbacks that can make ChatGPT the wrong fit for your business:
- Privacy. One of the biggest limitations of ChatGPT extends beyond the inability to customise the model. ChatGPT’s data collection practices, which involve gathering user data and interactions, raise the possibility of data breaches and unauthorised access to sensitive information. Businesses that rely on ChatGPT for customer interactions or internal communications may inadvertently expose confidential data, potentially leading to legal and regulatory repercussions. Plus, the lack of transparency in ChatGPT’s data processing and storage mechanisms makes it difficult for businesses to assess the potential risks associated with using the model. Without clarity on how data is handled, navigating privacy regulations becomes a guessing game.
- Accurate Information. ChatGPT’s vast web training grounds are impressive, but they can also be a breeding ground for misinformation. While it allows for diverse outputs, it also ingests misinformation, which makes it challenging for any language model to consistently discern fact from fiction. Without control over the information it analyses, the risk of inaccurate outputs could amplify false information, damaging your business credibility and reputation.
In short, if privacy and accuracy are top priorities for your business, ChatGPT might not be your ideal partner. That is when it’s time to consider RAG pipelines.
Secure & Reliable AI: What are RAG Pipelines?
RAG pipelines leverage search engines and self-hosted language models (LLMs) to prioritise both data security and accuracy. These secure, in-house LLMs, deployed and operated within an organisation’s infrastructure, gain a deeper understanding through your internal data and generate more comprehensive and informative answers. Combining RAG pipelines with self-hosted LLMs empowers the LLM to process and understand information from diverse sources, including text and code. By incorporating their internal documentation, customer interactions, and proprietary information, businesses equip the LLM with a wealth of domain-specific knowledge, leading to better decision-making.
Integrating self-hosted LLMs into RAG pipelines presents a win-win scenario for organisations. On the one hand, they ensure data security and privacy by keeping information within the organisation’s infrastructure. On the other hand, RAG pipelines empower the LLM to generate accurate and relevant answers. This combination proves particularly valuable for organisations handling sensitive data or requiring customised LLM behaviour.
By relying solely on your own data, RAG pipelines consistently deliver comprehensive and contextually relevant answers tailored to your specific business needs.
How Can Studio Vi Help
Studio Vi specialises in provisioning your own RAG pipelines! This entails using your own data sources, implementing LLMs specialised specifically for your domain and hosting the entire service on private and secure servers.
For instance, if you’re in the hospitality sector and would like a smart virtual assistant that provides service at a human level, Studio Vi can walk you through it. We believe in virtual assistants that no longer are chatbots that only help you with a predetermined set of questions, but rather a fully interactive tool that speaks your language. Plus, by learning from patterns, we make sure the same mistake never happens twice.
This unlocks a higher level of assistance, both proactive and creative. It also fosters a more personal experience and overall customer satisfaction, which leads to increased brand loyalty.
To sum it all up
Like learning from every book ever written, ChatGPT excels at general language tasks. However, its general knowledge may not be ideal for specific domains. This is where RAG pipelines excel. They tailor an LLM to a specific domain or task by feeding it with a curated dataset of relevant information. By exposing the language model to this domain-specific knowledge, it gains a deeper understanding of the context and terminology, enabling expert-level answers within that field. Plus, RAG pipelines empower businesses to generate secure, reliable text content while maintaining data privacy under control. Here’s what you can expect:
- Enhanced Privacy: Your data stays securely behind your own walls, meeting regulations and protecting sensitive information.
- Improved Accuracy: Generated text is tailor-made to your unique data, ensuring it’s relevant, reliable, and perfectly aligns with your brand voice. It’s no longer time for generic content.
- Increased Efficiency: Automate repetitive text generation tasks, freeing your team to focus on what matters most. Say goodbye to wasted time, hello to increased productivity.
- Self-Hosted LLMs: Take full control of your language model and data. Tailor it to your specific needs and avoid potential biases of public models. Your model, your way.
- Personalised Chatbots: Craft chatbots, powered by self-hosted LLMs, that speak your brand’s language, delivering accurate, reliable customer support with a human touch.
The future powered by AI is closer than ever. Stay ahead of the curve by investing in secure and efficient AI solutions today.
Vidar Daniels Digital Director