Vector database is not a separate database category

Why every database will become a vector database, sooner or later

In the near future, it’s becoming clear that:

• every database will offer some form of vector search.

• that includes graph, relational, document, and key-value databases, as well as caches.

• the boundary between what’s a vector DB and what’s not will blur.

• the current category of specialized “vector dbs” like Pinecone, Weaviate, Milvus, etc, will lose relative momentum and differentiation amidst the competition.

• incumbent databases will try to capture the new RAG (retrieval augmented generation) workloads by using their existing workloads / customer base.

As a result, it's worth questioning whether “vector database” is a separate database category, or just a feature that any database can provide.