RAG
Also known as: Retrieval-augmented generation, AI knowledge retrieval
Definition
RAG stands for retrieval-augmented generation. In business use, RAG connects an AI assistant to approved documents, tickets, policies, or knowledge bases so answers can be grounded in source material and reviewed for quality.
RAG is useful only when the source material is worth retrieving. Stale, contradictory, or unowned documents create weak answers.
The operating question is who owns knowledge quality after launch.
Related terms
- Internal Copilot — An employee-facing AI assistant that helps with research, drafting, summarization, retrieval, or coordination while a human remains in control.
Where this gets applied
- Process Documentation — Sales process, customer success playbooks, technical runbooks, financial close calendars, hiring rubrics.
- Technical Debt — Quantification in dollars, not adjectives. Then a remediation plan that runs in parallel with delivery.
- Compliance & Security — SOC 2, CMMC, FedRAMP, security baselines for post-acquisition standardization.