Gartner defines enterprise AI search as platforms that enable retrieval and synthesis of information across enterprise repositories. They are a key technology for developing AI assistants and AI agents that scale to enterprise needs using retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). They integrate with a wide range of advanced natural language processing (NLP), machine learning (ML) and large language model (LLM) technologies that are essential to knowledge management processes. They are designed to be customized and tuned for specific domains but often come with prepackaged integrations and experiences for some enterprise applications. Enterprise AI search tools are pivotal tools for humans and machines that need to find information and synthesize it to derive insight, so they can subsequently make decisions and take actions. These platforms connect to a wide variety of data sources, normalize and classify information, index it, and match and rank the most relevant results. Their user experiences are commonly customized and are increasingly used as a platform for building AI assistants for a wide variety of operational use cases. Those building RAG-based systems should consider how to configure enterprise search platforms to deliver AI assistants and, in the future, AI agents.
Knowledge Management (KM) Software helps organizations centralize, organize, and share information efficiently across teams. It provides a centralized repository for storing diverse content types—such as documents, presentations, and multimedia—making knowledge easily accessible and searchable. A robust search functionality ensures quick retrieval of relevant information, while features like file version history, access control, and content editing enhance collaboration and governance. These capabilities reduce duplication of effort, preserve institutional knowledge, and streamline workflows. KM software is widely used by customer support, product and operations, HR and training, and IT and compliance teams—any function that depends on consistent, accurate, and easily retrievable information.