Dave Stokes is a technology evangelist at Percona.
Why does MySQL not support vectors in its community edition? Generative AI is the hot topic in tech. GenAI relies on vector data. Yet Oracle has no plans to support vectors in the community edition of MySQL. If you want to try out vector data with other open source components, you have the option of MySQL HeatWave on Oracle’s cloud service, or opting for another database entirely.
The general lack of new capabilities in the community edition is likely to force users to seek alternatives rather than sign up to an expensive subscription. This will put MySQL further behind options like PostgreSQL that already support vector data.
This is counter-productive for the MySQL community and for Oracle. Not having vector data support in the community edition will jeopardise the position of MySQL in the open source space. When you can use PostgreSQL and pg_vector as a fully open source option, why pick something else? There’s already huge interest around MySQL to PostgreSQL conversion courses, in both the tech and the personal skills needed to be successful. This approach around vector data will only encourage more potential migration. In the meantime, we have to wait and see what the community does for itself.