What tools does an Agentic RAG system typically choose between?
Common options include vector search over an embedded knowledge base, keyword or full-text search for exact-term matches vector search misses, calls to external APIs or databases for live data, and even other specialized agents for sub-tasks. The agent's job is picking which of these actually serves the current query, rather than always hitting the same vector index regardless of question type.
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RAG vs Agentic RAG: Why Retrieval Needed to Become a DecisionTraditional RAG retrieves once and answers. Agentic RAG lets the system decide what to retrieve, from where, and whether the first answer was even good enough.
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