From shiny object to sober reality: The vector database story, two years later

When I first wrote “Vector databases: Shiny object syndrome and the case of a missing unicorn” in March 2024, the industry was awash in hype. Vector databases were positioned as the next big thing — a must-have infrastructure layer for the gen AI era. Billions of venture dollars flowed, developers rushed to integrate embeddings into their pipelines and analysts breathlessly tracked funding rounds for Pinecone, Weavi…