The Automat

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RAG in Plain English: How Retrieval Actually Makes an Agent Useful

RAG in Plain English: How Retrieval Actually Makes an Agent Useful

RAG in Plain English: How Retrieval Actually Makes an Agent UsefulDrew Donaldson
Published on: 21/07/2026

Retrieval-augmented generation explained without jargon: how RAG works, the chunking failure that breaks real implementations, and when to skip RAG entirely.

Data & Intelligence
Turning Your Company's Documents Into a Brain an Agent Can Use

Turning Your Company's Documents Into a Brain an Agent Can Use

Turning Your Company's Documents Into a Brain an Agent Can UseDrew Donaldson
Published on: 09/07/2026

How to build a knowledge base for AI from the documents you already own: what to ingest, how to structure it for retrieval, and how to keep it fresh.

Data & Intelligence
Five Signs Your Data Isn't Ready for AI (and What to Do About Each)

Five Signs Your Data Isn't Ready for AI (and What to Do About Each)

Five Signs Your Data Isn't Ready for AI (and What to Do About Each)Drew Donaldson
Published on: 26/06/2026

Five signs your data isn't ready for AI, with the concrete fix for each. A practical AI data readiness checklist for leaders whose AI projects keep stalling.

Data & Intelligence
Your Dashboard Is Lying to You (Politely)

Your Dashboard Is Lying to You (Politely)

Your Dashboard Is Lying to You (Politely)Drew Donaldson
Published on: 02/06/2026

Your Dashboard Is Lying to You (Politely). Field notes from Automata Intelligentsia.

Data & Intelligence