Using Structured Data for High-Performing AI Chatbots

Calvin Hendryx-Parker, CTO and co-founder of Six Feet Up, took the stage at AppDev Field Day to discuss how structured data can drive high-performing AI chatbots. His presentation, “Innovate with AI: Build ChatGPT-like Apps,” focused on using Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) to improve AI accuracy, relevance, and value for business applications.

Making AI Reliable with RAG

RAG is a technique that bolsters AI by pulling structured data from trusted sources, which helps AI provide factual and context-aware answers. Calvin explained how RAG works and stressed that when AI is powered by well-managed data, it becomes a reliable, effective tool for users.

Tackling Data Management Challenges

For AI to perform at its best, data quality matters. Calvin shared how unstructured data on many websites presents a challenge, requiring innovative data scraping and transformation techniques to create a structured knowledge base. His live coding session focused on these practical steps, showing tech leaders how to clean, organize, and leverage data for reliable AI outputs.

Using the Good Tech Fest website as a case study, Calvin highlighted how RAG transformed messy conference data, including attendee profiles, into structured insights. He demonstrated a chatbot capable of identifying and recommending networking opportunities based on specific expertise — a powerful use case for tech leaders aiming to maximize AI-driven networking.

The Power of Combining AI Tools

To bring the chatbot to life, Calvin used three essential tools:

OpenAI Embeddings API to transform raw text into usable data,
ChromaDB as a vector database to efficiently store and retrieve structured information, and
GPT-4 Vision to extract details from images when text was insufficient.

Together, these tools allowed Calvin to build a chatbot that responds precisely and contextually, demonstrating how RAG and AI tools can turn disorganized data into business value.

AI as a Multiplier

Calvin concluded with a powerful reminder: AI, when fed with structured data, becomes a multiplier for human potential, creating new opportunities for businesses. For tech leaders, Calvin’s insights underscore the importance of data quality in AI performance. With RAG, businesses can transform unstructured information into high-impact, decision-driving tools.

Watch the extended version of this talk given at Good Tech Fest, and learn more about Six Feet Up’s AI expertise.

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