Towards Data Science

RAG Isn't an Agent — I Built the Layer Between Retrieval and Action

The article explains that Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) is a retrieval system, while agents are responsible for action. The author built a distinct layer that explicitly connects retrieval to action, and tested this setup across nine tasks alongside standalone RAG and agent systems.

Towards Data Science
Aug 27

Agentic AI Is Rewriting The Analytics Stack But There's One Skill It Still Can't Touch

The article discusses how agentic AI is reshaping the analytics stack by taking over more execution tasks. It raises the question of which responsibilities should remain with human analysts versus AI agents and explores the importance of this distinction. The piece highlights the evolving role of AI in analytics and the need to define clear boundaries between human and machine work.

By Rashi Desai
Towards Data Science
May 29

RAG Is Burning Money — I Built a Cost Control Layer to Fix It

Most RAG systems are optimized for answer quality, not cost—and that blind spot gets expensive fast. In this article, I break down a production-ready cost control layer combining semantic caching, query routing, token budgeting, and circuit breaking, achieving an 85% reduction in LLM costs without sacrificing answer quality.

By Emmimal P Alexander
Towards Data Science
6d ago

Good Architecture Deletes the Signals Your Agent Depends On

The article argues that well‑designed architecture can inadvertently eliminate signals that tooling relies on, turning a structural issue into a search problem. It highlights how drawing boundaries in systems can strip away essential cues needed by agents. The piece emphasizes the importance of considering signal preservation when designing architecture.

By Yonatan Sason
Towards Data Science
Aug 31

Why RAG Complexity Should Be Earned

The article outlines a framework for constructing Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines that progressively add complexity as needed to address observed failure modes. It begins with basic lexical and hybrid search techniques, then incorporates reranking and agentic information‑seeking strategies to improve performance. The approach emphasizes that more sophisticated components should only be introduced when simpler methods prove insufficient.

By Tahreem Rasul