Module 04

Building the Machine:
Enterprise AI Stack

A chat interface is not an enterprise architecture. To run AI in production, you need a robust stack including Vector Databases, Orchestration Layers, and API Gateways. This module covers the engineering blueprints.

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The Enterprise AI Stack

Just like the LAMP stack powered the early web, the "AI Stack" is the new standard. It moves from raw GPU compute at the bottom to Agentic Applications at the top.

The Enterprise GenAI Stack

From raw compute to business applications.

Application Layer

No-Code Playgrounds & Assistants

Model Gateway (API)

Managed Model Hubs

ML Platform

Custom Training & Fine-Tuning

Infrastructure Layer

GPU Clusters & Storage

Model Gateway (API)

Unified access to top-tier Foundation Models (Claude, Llama, etc.) via a single secure API. No infrastructure management required.

Key Benefit

Advantage: Speed to market. Switch models instantly via config.

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Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)

RAG is the industry standard for connecting LLMs to your private data. Instead of retraining the model (which is expensive), we "retrieve" the relevant facts from your database and "augment" the prompt before sending it to the AI.

Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)

Bridging the gap between LLM reasoning and your proprietary data.

1. User Query
2. Vector Search
3. Retrieval
4. Augmentation
5. Generation

1. User Query

The user asks a question (e.g., 'What is our refund policy?').

Why RAG?

  • Accuracy: Reduces hallucinations by grounding the model in facts.
  • Freshness: No need to re-train the model when data changes; just update the database.
  • Security: Strict access control on retrieved documents (ACLs).

Business Applications

Internal Knowledge BaseCustomer Support BotLegal Contract Review
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Fine-Tuning vs. Prompting

Should you just write a better prompt, or do you need to train the model? This spectrum helps you decide based on cost, effort, and the level of control required.

The Cost of Customization

Choosing the right approach for your business needs.

Click bars to view details

Prompt Eng

In-Context Learning

Cost
Control

The starting point. Use zero-shot or few-shot prompting. Zero infra cost, but limited by context window and base model knowledge.

The Foundation Model Lifecycle

From raw compute to polished product.

Base Model
Predicts next token only.

Learning the Language

1. Pre-Training

Next-Token Prediction. The model learns grammar, facts, and reasoning patterns.

Data Source
Massive Unstructured Data (The Internet, Books)
Compute Cost
$$ (Millions)
Resulting Artifact
Base Model (e.g., Llama-3-Base)
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The Art of Prompting

Prompting is programming in natural language. Structure matters. Learn the anatomy of a robust enterprise prompt and advanced techniques like "Chain-of-Thought".

Anatomy of a Perfect Prompt

Constructing prompts is engineering, not guessing. See how structure affects quality.

Prompt Blocks (Toggle to Add)
Compiled Context
Quality: Low
# Instruction
Write a Terraform script to provision a secure VPC with public and private subnets.
Result Prediction:Generic, likely insecure, lacks specific context.

Technique Workbench

From basic instructions to advanced reasoning chains.

Prompt InputZero-Shot Mode
Classify the sentiment: 'The product broke after two days.'

Asking the model to perform a task without any examples.

Model Output
Sentiment: Negative

Fastest, but relies entirely on the model's pre-training. Can be vague.

5

Autonomous Agents

The frontier of AI. Agents move beyond "Chat" to "Action". They can plan multi-step workflows, use tools (like Calculators or APIs), and verify their own work.

Agents: Multi-Step Reasoning

Moving from "Chat" to "Action". Agents can use tools to solve complex problems.

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Observe

Read user input & environment state.

Example: "Book Flight"
User: 'Find flights to Tokyo next Monday.'

The Final Layer: Trust

A powerful system is useless if it's not secure and compliant. Let's explore Governance.

Go to Module 5: Security & Governance