Treat RAG as Memory Architecture, Not Search Decoration
Distinguish parametric model memory from external retrieved memory when designing a RAG system.
The design move: draw the memory boundary before tuning the prompt. A RAG system combines model memory with retrieved memory. Model memory is useful for language, summarization, and general reasoning. Retrieved memory is useful for facts that must be current, private, auditable, or domain-specific. When teams blur the two, they over-trust fluent answers and under-test evidence coverage. Evidence ownership The retriever should own the facts that can be cited: dates, rules, numbers, definitions, owners, exceptions, and source-specific claims. The model should own the transformation: synthesis, tone, comparison, and clear wording. Failure mode If no source owns a claim, the system…
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