The Open-Book AI

A plain-English series on RAG — the idea that turns forgetful chatbots into experts on your stuff. No code, one metaphor per article, honest about where it breaks. Start here.

1. 01

   Your AI Is a Genius With Amnesia

   Why the smartest software ever built doesn't know your refund policy

   7 min
2. 02

   The Open-Book Exam: What RAG Actually Is

   The whole idea in one sitting

   6 min
3. 03

   The Map Inside the Machine: How AI Understands Meaning

   The most beautiful idea in modern AI, no math required

   5 min
4. 04

   A Library With No Shelves: Vector Databases, Explained Without the Hype

   Where two million meanings live, and how the right one comes back in twenty milliseconds

   5 min
5. 05

   The Art of Cutting Up a Book: Chunking

   The unglamorous step that decides everything

   6 min
6. 06

   Ctrl+F for Meaning: How Retrieval Actually Works

   Two kinds of search, one funnel, and a second interview

   6 min
7. 07

   From Question to Answer: A RAG Pipeline in Slow Motion

   The 900-millisecond journey, station by station

   6 min
8. 08

   When RAG Lies: Why \"AI With Sources\" Still Gets It Wrong

   Five failure modes nobody puts in the demo

   6 min
9. 09

   Book, Study, or Bigger Desk? RAG vs. Fine-Tuning vs. Long Context

   The argument your AI team keeps having, settled with one exam

   6 min
10. 10

    RAG Is Already Running Your Life (and What Comes Next)

    From library card to researcher

    6 min