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.
Answered in
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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