Build RAG Chatbot with LangChain, LangChain vector store, Anthropic Claude 3 Haiku, and NVIDIA nv-embedqa-e5-v5

Introduction to RAG

Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) is a game-changer for GenAI applications, especially in conversational AI. It combines the power of pre-trained large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s GPT with external knowledge sources stored in vector databases such as Milvus and Zilliz Cloud, allowing for more accurate, contextually relevant, and up-to-date response generation. A RAG pipeline usually consists of four basic components: a vector database, an embedding model, an LLM, and a framework.

Key Components We'll Use for This RAG Chatbot

This tutorial shows you how to build a simple RAG chatbot in Python using the following components:

LangChain: An open-source framework that helps you orchestrate the interaction between LLMs, vector stores, embedding models, etc, making it easier to integrate a RAG pipeline.
LangChain in-memory vector store: an in-memory, ephemeral vector store that stores embeddings in-memory and does an exact, linear search for the most similar embeddings. The default similarity metric is cosine similarity, but can be changed to any of the similarity metrics supported by ml-distance. It is intended for demos and does not yet support ids or deletion. (If you want a much more scalable solution for your apps or even enterprise projects, we recommend using Zilliz Cloud, which is a fully managed vector database service built on the open-source Milvusand offers a free tier supporting up to 1 million vectors.)
Anthropic Claude 3: This advanced AI language model from Anthropic focuses on safety and alignment, capable of generating coherent and context-aware text. It excels in creative writing, conversational AI, and insightful summarization. Ideal for creating engaging content while ensuring adherence to ethical standards and user intent.
NVIDIA nv-embedqa-e5-v5: This model combines advanced natural language processing with deep learning to perform efficient question answering. It excels in understanding context and providing accurate responses from embedded knowledge sources. Ideal for applications in customer support, chatbots, and interactive learning environments, it enhances user engagement through intuitive interactions.

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have a functional chatbot capable of answering questions based on a custom knowledge base.

Note: Since we may use proprietary models in our tutorials, make sure you have the required API key beforehand.

Step 1: Install and Set Up LangChain

%pip install --quiet --upgrade langchain-text-splitters langchain-community langgraph

Step 2: Install and Set Up Anthropic Claude 3 Haiku

pip install -qU "langchain[anthropic]"

import getpass
import os

if not os.environ.get("ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"):
  os.environ["ANTHROPIC_API_KEY"] = getpass.getpass("Enter API key for Anthropic: ")

from langchain.chat_models import init_chat_model

llm = init_chat_model("claude-3-haiku-20240307", model_provider="anthropic")

Step 3: Install and Set Up NVIDIA nv-embedqa-e5-v5

pip install -qU langchain-nvidia-ai-endpoints

import getpass
import os

if not os.environ.get("NVIDIA_API_KEY"):
  os.environ["NVIDIA_API_KEY"] = getpass.getpass("Enter API key for NVIDIA: ")

from langchain_nvidia_ai_endpoints import NVIDIAEmbeddings

embeddings = NVIDIAEmbeddings(model="nvidia/nv-embedqa-e5-v5")

Step 4: Install and Set Up LangChain vector store

pip install -qU langchain-core

from langchain_core.vectorstores import InMemoryVectorStore

vector_store = InMemoryVectorStore(embeddings)

Step 5: Build a RAG Chatbot

Now that you’ve set up all components, let’s start to build a simple chatbot. We’ll use the Milvus introduction doc as a private knowledge base. You can replace it with your own dataset to customize your RAG chatbot.

import bs4
from langchain import hub
from langchain_community.document_loaders import WebBaseLoader
from langchain_core.documents import Document
from langchain_text_splitters import RecursiveCharacterTextSplitter
from langgraph.graph import START, StateGraph
from typing_extensions import List, TypedDict

# Load and chunk contents of the blog
loader = WebBaseLoader(
    web_paths=("https://milvus.io/docs/overview.md",),
    bs_kwargs=dict(
        parse_only=bs4.SoupStrainer(
            class_=("doc-style doc-post-content")
        )
    ),
)

docs = loader.load()

text_splitter = RecursiveCharacterTextSplitter(chunk_size=1000, chunk_overlap=200)
all_splits = text_splitter.split_documents(docs)

# Index chunks
_ = vector_store.add_documents(documents=all_splits)

# Define prompt for question-answering
prompt = hub.pull("rlm/rag-prompt")


# Define state for application
class State(TypedDict):
    question: str
    context: List[Document]
    answer: str


# Define application steps
def retrieve(state: State):
    retrieved_docs = vector_store.similarity_search(state["question"])
    return {"context": retrieved_docs}


def generate(state: State):
    docs_content = "\n\n".join(doc.page_content for doc in state["context"])
    messages = prompt.invoke({"question": state["question"], "context": docs_content})
    response = llm.invoke(messages)
    return {"answer": response.content}


# Compile application and test
graph_builder = StateGraph(State).add_sequence([retrieve, generate])
graph_builder.add_edge(START, "retrieve")
graph = graph_builder.compile()

Test the Chatbot

Yeah! You've built your own chatbot. Let's ask the chatbot a question.

response = graph.invoke({"question": "What data types does Milvus support?"})
print(response["answer"])

Example Output

Milvus supports various data types including sparse vectors, binary vectors, JSON, and arrays. Additionally, it handles common numerical and character types, making it versatile for different data modeling needs. This allows users to manage unstructured or multi-modal data efficiently.

Optimization Tips

As you build your RAG system, optimization is key to ensuring peak performance and efficiency. While setting up the components is an essential first step, fine-tuning each one will help you create a solution that works even better and scales seamlessly. In this section, we’ll share some practical tips for optimizing all these components, giving you the edge to build smarter, faster, and more responsive RAG applications.

LangChain optimization tips

To optimize LangChain, focus on minimizing redundant operations in your workflow by structuring your chains and agents efficiently. Use caching to avoid repeated computations, speeding up your system, and experiment with modular design to ensure that components like models or databases can be easily swapped out. This will provide both flexibility and efficiency, allowing you to quickly scale your system without unnecessary delays or complications.

LangChain in-memory vector store optimization tips

LangChain in-memory vector store is just an ephemeral vector store that stores embeddings in-memory and does an exact, linear search for the most similar embeddings. It has very limited features and is only intended for demos. If you plan to build a functional or even production-level solution, we recommend using Zilliz Cloud, which is a fully managed vector database service built on the open-source Milvus and offers a free tier supporting up to 1 million vectors.)

Anthropic Claude 3 Haiku optimization tips

Claude 3 Haiku is designed for efficiency, making it a great choice for low-latency RAG applications. Optimize token usage by structuring prompts concisely, removing redundant text, and leveraging system messages effectively to guide responses. Use function calling when applicable to offload structured processing tasks and improve response reliability. Batch process queries where possible to reduce API overhead and enhance throughput. If latency is critical, consider caching frequent queries and pre-generating responses for common questions. Fine-tune response control with temperature and top-p sampling; lower temperature values (e.g., 0.2-0.3) help maintain consistency in factual retrieval tasks. Use streaming mode for real-time applications to get faster partial responses while processing large prompts. Regularly evaluate and adjust model parameters based on performance benchmarks to balance speed and accuracy in your RAG pipeline.

NVIDIA nv-embedqa-e5-v5 optimization tips

To optimize the NVIDIA nv-embedqa-e5-v5 in a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) setup, first ensure that your model is correctly fine-tuned with a diverse training dataset to enhance retrieval accuracy. Utilize mixed precision training to boost computational efficiency and reduce memory usage. Implement batching for queries and responses to leverage parallel processing capabilities. Regularly monitor and adjust the learning rate and other hyperparameters for optimal training performance. Finally, incorporate caching mechanisms for frequently accessed embeddings and results to significantly speed up retrieval times.

By implementing these tips across your components, you'll be able to enhance the performance and functionality of your RAG system, ensuring it’s optimized for both speed and accuracy. Keep testing, iterating, and refining your setup to stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of AI development.

RAG Cost Calculator: A Free Tool to Calculate Your Cost in Seconds

Estimating the cost of a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipeline involves analyzing expenses across vector storage, compute resources, and API usage. Key cost drivers include vector database queries, embedding generation, and LLM inference.

RAG Cost Calculator is a free tool that quickly estimates the cost of building a RAG pipeline, including chunking, embedding, vector storage/search, and LLM generation. It also helps you identify cost-saving opportunities and achieve up to 10x cost reduction on vector databases with the serverless option.

Calculate your RAG cost now.

Calculate your RAG cost

What Have You Learned?

By diving into this tutorial, you’ve unlocked the magic of building a RAG system from the ground up using cutting-edge tools! You learned how LangChain acts as the backbone, orchestrating the entire workflow and connecting the dots between your data, language model, and user queries. The LangChain vector store stepped in as your intelligent librarian, organizing and retrieving context from your documents with precision, while NVIDIA’s nv-embedqa-e5-v5 embedding model transformed text into rich numerical representations—turning unstructured data into a playground for semantic search. And let’s not forget Anthropic Claude 3 Haiku, the star of the show, which used that retrieved context to craft human-like, accurate responses, proving that speed and quality can coexist in AI-powered applications. Together, these components formed a seamless pipeline: ingest data, embed it for meaning, retrieve the most relevant bits, and generate answers that feel almost magical. You even picked up pro tips for optimizing each stage, like fine-tuning retrieval thresholds and balancing cost with performance, and you discovered how the free RAG cost calculator can help you budget smarter for real-world deployments.

Now you’re equipped with more than just code snippets—you’ve got a blueprint for innovation. Imagine the possibilities: chatbots that truly understand your business docs, research assistants that sift through mountains of data in seconds, or customer support tools that reply with empathy and accuracy. The tools are here, the roadmap is clear, and your creativity is the only limit. So fire up your IDE, experiment with tweaks, and watch your ideas come to life. The world of generative AI is evolving fast, and you’re already riding the wave. Build boldly, optimize fearlessly, and share what you create—the future of intelligent applications is yours to shape. Let’s go! 🚀

Further Resources

🌟 In addition to this RAG tutorial, unleash your full potential with these incredible resources to level up your RAG skills.

How to Build a Multimodal RAG | Documentation
How to Enhance the Performance of Your RAG Pipeline
Graph RAG with Milvus | Documentation
How to Evaluate RAG Applications - Zilliz Learn
Generative AI Resource Hub | Zilliz

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