Introducing A New Database Category The Predictive Database

The document introduces a new type of database called a predictive database that allows users to query both known facts from normal databases as well as unknown predictions from machine learning models using simple queries, making AI functionality much more accessible and affordable for average development teams compared to traditional machine learning approaches. It describes how a startup called Aito has implemented this vision of a predictive database in their product, also called Aito, which is offered as a SAAS and aims to make AI more powerful yet simple for developers.

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Introducing A New Database Category The Predictive Database

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leonard1971

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Introducing a new database category - the

predictive database
#predictivedatabase
#smartfeatures
#machinelearning

Antti Rauhala

Co-founder

August 27, 2019 • 3 min read

Could AI be made radically more accessible and faster to use? How about, if you
could get the predictions, the recommendations and the AI functionality with queries
like this:
{
"from": "engagements",
"where": {
"customer": "[email protected]"
},
"recommend": "product",
"goal" : "purchase"
}
In a typical tech environment, it is extremely easy to find applications for AI/ML. The
end users have gotten used to AI-driven features like recommendations. Features
like personalization can provide huge benefits for both the user and the business. AI
related features are a common discussion topic both in the product teams, startups
and in the management. There is simply an abundance of ideas and desire to bring
AI to software.

Yet, while AI is huge, it can be inaccesible for the average development team. Not
every development team is armed with a data scientist. Even more, it is often
prohibitively expensive. The image below depicts one way to frame a typical machine
learning project. What the picture omits is, that the process can take weeks or
months, it can cost tens or hundreds of thousands of euros to get it through, and the
results are not always what was the expected.

The workflow of a typical ML modeling project

Few product teams can spare 'extra 50k€' to try a smart functionality that might
improve the product. As a consequence most, maybe over 90%, of the value-adding
smart functionality is not financially feasible.

Given all this, the true question is that could AI be made radically more accessible
and faster to use?

The Predictive Database

To truly understand the significance of the predictive database, let’s consider the
following scenario. You have a database that provides you the normal database
operations for your grocery store. You can use the database to list the historical
customer purchases like this:
{
"from": "purchases",
"where": {
"customer": "[email protected]"
}
}
Now, your PO has done some interviews and found the customers complaining that
filling the weekly shopping list is a huge hassle. What would you do? Perhaps you
could use the following query for predicting the customer’s next purchases:
{
"from": "purchases",
"where": {
"customer": "[email protected]"
},
"predict": "productIds",
"exclusiveness": false
}

The query results will list the customer’s next purchases by the purchase
probabilities. You can use it to prefill the shopping basket with the weekly butters and
milks. It can also be used to provide recommendations.

But there is even more. How about, if you have some impression and click data, and
your PO, your customers and the team itself desire the personalized search? Let’s try
the following query to recommend ‘milk’ related products:
{
"from": "impressions",
"where": {
"customer": "[email protected]",
"product.text": {
"$match": "milk"
}
},
"recommend": "product",
"goal": { "click": true }
}

The query returns the products containing the word ‘milk’ by the probability the
customer might click it. If the customer is lactose-intolerant, the lactose-free products
will be listed first. As such, the query seamlessly combines the soft statistical
reasoning with the hard text search operation to get the sought results.
The grocery store demo using the AI Queries

There is a wide array of other AI-related problems that can be quickly solved with
queries. For example, you can form simple queries to propose tags for products, to
propose personalized query words, match email-lines with the products in the
database or explain the customer purchases and behavior. As such, these simple
queries can provide the intelligent user experience, the process automation and
analytics.

The Impact
Now consider the previous vision, the examples and the fact that we implemented the
vision. The dramatic reduction of cost in implementing the smart functionality means
that it becomes economical to:

1. Add the AI functionality into the internal tools, PoCs, the MVPs and the smaller
products.
2. Add the numerous smaller AI functionalities, like the little things that help ease
the users’ lives.
3. Make the software thoroughly smart and include all the smart functionality from
the AI features’ buffet.

Overall, the changed economics can work to democratize the AI and make AI
affordable; it could fundamentally change the way the AI is used.

Meet Aito
This vision of the predictive database was implemented by our startup called Aito.
Our product, also called Aito, is currently in open beta, and it is offered as a SAAS for
developers around the world.
As a predictive database, Aito lets you query both the known facts like a normal
database and the unknown like the AI / ML solutions. It also lets you seamlessly
combine the database filtering with the machine learning scoring functionality.

The workflow with the Aito AI queries

Aito exists to support the developers, who value quick time to market, and who are
looking for powerful, yet simple tools, that can solve a wide range of AI and data
related problems.

Interested? Check out this documentation to have a closer look – or just ask for free
trial so we can show you how it works for you.