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xAI · 2025

Citation-backed knowledge assistant

Hybrid vector and keyword retrieval, with an interface that shows its sources by default.

  • ChromaDB
  • Hybrid retrieval
  • FastAPI
  • React
  • TypeScript
Problem

A knowledge assistant that answers confidently but can't show its work isn't trustworthy enough to actually use for anything that matters, and pure vector search alone tends to miss exact-match queries, names, IDs, specific terms, that keyword search catches easily.

The interaction decision

Show sources by default, not behind a sources toggle a user has to think to click. If the answer can't be traced to something retrieved, that's a signal the interface should surface, not smooth over.

Architecture

Hybrid retrieval combining ChromaDB vector search with keyword search, so semantic and exact-match queries both land. Python and FastAPI backend; React and TypeScript frontend that renders citations inline with the answer.

What shipped

A production knowledge assistant where every answer arrives with its sources attached, built to be checked rather than trusted blindly.