Vertex AI

What is it

Vertex AI is an innovative platform designed to empower users in leveraging the capabilities of generative AI for diverse use cases. It provides a comprehensive set of generative AI tools, solutions, and a unified AI platform that streamlines the development, deployment, and management of these powerful AI models.

Key features

• Generative AI models and tools: Vertex AI provides pre-built generative AI models and managed tools that simplify the process of prototyping, customization, and integration of AI models into various applications. It offers access to a wide range of models, including those developed by Google, third-party vendors, and the open-source community, through its Model Garden. Additionally, it allows users to customize Google's text, image, or code models to align with specific use cases and enhance functionality through extensions.
• Open and integrated AI platform: Vertex AI Platform offers data scientists a comprehensive suite of tools for training, tuning, and deploying machine learning models. It seamlessly integrates with BigQuery, enabling a unified environment for data and AI workloads. Vertex AI notebooks provide options like Colab Enterprise or Workbench for collaborative model development. The platform supports open-source frameworks and optimized AI infrastructure for efficient deployment of models to production using Vertex AI Training and Prediction services.
• MLOps for predictive and generative AI: Vertex AI Platform provides specialized MLOps tools tailored for data scientists and ML engineers. These tools assist in automating, standardizing, and managing ML projects, enabling seamless collaboration across teams. It includes components like Vertex AI Evaluation, Vertex AI Pipelines, Model Registry, Feature Store, and model monitoring tools that streamline the ML workflow and facilitate continuous improvement of models throughout the development life cycle.
• Search and Conversation: Vertex AI Search and Conversation simplifies the development and deployment of generative AI-powered applications for search and chat functions. It provides an orchestration layer that abstracts complexity and prioritizes data privacy and controls for enterprise-ready applications. Developers can quickly and efficiently build and deploy applications while adhering to responsible AI practices.
• AI solutions: Vertex AI Platform offers industry-specific AI solutions, such as Contact Center AI, Document AI, Anti Money Laundering AI, and Discovery AI, that provide tailored capabilities to address specific business requirements. These solutions can be accessed and deployed directly by businesses or with the support of priority partners, expanding their applicability.
• Generative AI for various tasks: Vertex AI supports the use of generative AI for tasks such as summarization, classification, and extraction. It offers the PaLM API for text, which allows users to create text prompts with flexibility in structure and format, making it versatile for handling a wide range of tasks.

Pros

• Empowers users to leverage generative AI capabilities.
• Provides access to a wide range of generative AI models and tools.
• Offers an open and integrated AI platform for seamless model development and deployment.
• Includes specialized MLOps tools for efficient ML project management.
• Simplifies the development of generative AI-powered search and chat applications.
• Provides industry-specific AI solutions for targeted business outcomes.
• Supports generative AI for tasks like summarization, classification, and extraction.

Cons

• May require specialized expertise to fully utilize all features.
• Costs associated with using the platform and AI resources should be considered.
• May have limitations in terms of the types of AI models and applications that can be developed.

Summary

Vertex AI is a powerful and comprehensive platform that empowers users to harness the potential of generative AI for diverse applications. It provides a wide range of generative AI models, tools, and solutions, along with an open and integrated AI platform. With specialized MLOps tools and capabilities for search and conversation applications, Vertex AI streamlines the development and deployment of generative AI models. While it may require some expertise and consideration of costs, the platform offers significant benefits for businesses and developers seeking to leverage generative AI for transformative outcomes.