Understanding and Applying Text Embeddings from Coursera

What's inside

Syllabus

Project Overview

The Vertex AI Text-Embeddings API enhances the process of generating text embeddings. These text embeddings, which are numerical representations of text, play a pivotal role in many tasks involving the identification of similar items, like Google searches, online shopping recommendations, and personalized music suggestions.During this course, you’ll use text embeddings for tasks like classification, outlier detection, text clustering and semantic search. You’ll combine semantic search with the text generation capabilities of an LLM to build a question-answering systems using Google Cloud’s Vertex AI.You’ll also explore:(1) The properties of word and sentence embeddings.(2) How embeddings can be used to measure the semantic similarity between two pieces of text.(3) How to apply text embeddings for tasks such as classification, clustering, and outlier detection.(4) Modify the text generation behavior of an LLM by adjusting the parameters temperature, top-k, and top-p.(5) How to apply the open source ScaNN (Scalable Nearest Neighbors) library for efficient semantic search.(6) How to build a Q&A system by combining semantic search with an LLM.Upon successful completion of this course, you will grasp the underlying concepts of using text embeddings, and will also gain proficiency in generating embeddings and integrating them into common LLM applications.

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Taught by Andrew Ng and Nikita Namjoshi, who are recognized for their work in deep learning and natural language processing

Develops skills in using text embeddings for tasks like classification, clustering, and outlier detection

Provides hands-on labs and interactive materials for practical application

Combines semantic search with the text generation capabilities of an LLM to build question-answering systems

Requires prerequisite knowledge in text processing and natural language processing

May require additional software or tools that learners may not have access to

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Understanding and Applying Text Embeddings with these activities:

Organize and Review Course Materials

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Gain a holistic understanding of the course materials to better contextualize and relate information presented in lectures.

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Gather and organize course materials (e.g., syllabus, lecture notes, assignments)
Review syllabus to identify key concepts and learning objectives
Read assigned readings and take notes to reinforce understanding

Join a Study Group

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Enhance your understanding and retention of course material through collaborative learning with peers.

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Find or form a study group with other students in the course
Meet regularly to discuss concepts, review notes, and work on assignments

Practice Text Embedding Calculations

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Enhance your understanding of how text embeddings are generated and used on practical examples.

Browse courses on Text Embeddings

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Use online tools or libraries to calculate text embeddings
Experiment with different embedding techniques (e.g., Word2Vec, GloVe)
Analyze the results and evaluate the quality of embeddings

Four other activities

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Apply Embeddings to Text Classification

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Reinforce your understanding of text embeddings by using them in a practical machine learning application.

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Load a text classification dataset and preprocess the data
Create text embeddings for the dataset
Train and evaluate a text classifier using the embeddings

Connect with Experts in the Field

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Gain valuable insights and guidance by seeking mentorship from experienced professionals.

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Identify potential mentors who work in the field of text embeddings or related areas
Reach out to them via LinkedIn or email to express your interest in mentorship

Write a Blog Post on Text Embeddings

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Enhance your communication and understanding by explaining the concepts of text embeddings to a broader audience.

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Choose a specific aspect of text embeddings to focus on
Research the topic thoroughly and gather relevant information
Write a clear and engaging blog post that explains the topic to a non-technical audience
Promote your blog post on social media or other platforms

Develop a Text Embedding-Based Application

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Demonstrate your mastery of text embeddings by building an application that utilizes them to solve a practical problem.

Browse courses on Natural Language Processing

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Identify a problem or task that can be addressed using text embeddings
Design and implement an application that employs text embeddings
Evaluate the performance and impact of your application

Career center

Learners who complete Understanding and Applying Text Embeddings will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Natural Language Processing Engineer

Natural Language Processing Engineers develop and improve natural language processing systems. They work in a variety of industries, including technology, healthcare, and finance. This course can help you become a Natural Language Processing Engineer by providing you with the skills to generate and use text embeddings. Text embeddings are essential for many natural language processing tasks, such as text classification, sentiment analysis, and machine translation.

See salaries and explore the career path for Natural Language Processing Engineer

Data Scientist

Data Scientists apply their mastery of data analysis, machine learning, and predictive analytics to solve business problems. They work in many different industries, from technology and finance to healthcare and retail. This course can help you become a Data Scientist by providing you with the skills to generate and use text embeddings, which are essential for many data science tasks. For example, text embeddings can be used to classify text data, identify similar documents, and build chatbots.

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Machine Learning Engineer

Machine Learning Engineers design, build, and maintain machine learning models. They work in a variety of industries, including technology, automotive, and healthcare. This course can help you become a Machine Learning Engineer by providing you with the skills to generate and use text embeddings. Text embeddings can be used to improve the accuracy of machine learning models that process text data.

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Data Analyst

Data Analysts collect, analyze, and interpret data to help businesses make informed decisions. They work in a variety of industries, including technology, finance, and healthcare. This course can help you become a Data Analyst by providing you with the skills to generate and use text embeddings. Text embeddings can be used to improve the accuracy of data analysis tasks, such as customer segmentation and fraud detection.

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Research Scientist

Research Scientists conduct research to advance scientific knowledge and develop new technologies. They work in a variety of fields, including computer science, biology, and chemistry. This course may be useful to Research Scientists who are working on natural language processing or machine learning projects. The course can provide you with the skills to generate and use text embeddings, which can be used to improve the accuracy of natural language processing and machine learning models.

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Business Analyst

Business Analysts help businesses to improve their performance by analyzing data and identifying opportunities for improvement. They work in a variety of industries, including technology, finance, and healthcare. This course may be useful to Business Analysts who are working on projects that involve natural language processing or machine learning. The course can provide you with the skills to generate and use text embeddings, which can be used to improve the accuracy of natural language processing and machine learning models.

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Software Engineer

Software Engineers design, develop, and maintain software systems. They work in a variety of industries, including technology, finance, and healthcare. This course may be useful to Software Engineers who are working on natural language processing or machine learning projects. The course can provide you with the skills to generate and use text embeddings, which can be used to improve the accuracy of natural language processing and machine learning models.

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Product Manager

Product Managers are responsible for the development and launch of new products. They work in a variety of industries, including technology, consumer goods, and healthcare. This course may be useful to Product Managers who are working on products that involve natural language processing or machine learning. The course can provide you with the skills to generate and use text embeddings, which can be used to improve the accuracy of natural language processing and machine learning models.

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Technical Writer

Technical Writers create and maintain documentation for technical products and services. They work in a variety of industries, including technology, consumer goods, and healthcare. This course may be useful to Technical Writers who are working on documentation for natural language processing or machine learning products or services. The course can provide you with the skills to generate and use text embeddings, which can be used to improve the accuracy of natural language processing and machine learning models.

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Customer Success Manager

Customer Success Managers are responsible for ensuring that customers are satisfied with their products or services. They work in a variety of industries, including technology, consumer goods, and healthcare. This course may be useful to Customer Success Managers who are working with customers who use natural language processing or machine learning products or services. The course can provide you with the skills to generate and use text embeddings, which can be used to improve the accuracy of natural language processing and machine learning models.

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Marketing Manager

Marketing Managers are responsible for developing and executing marketing campaigns. They work in a variety of industries, including technology, consumer goods, and healthcare. This course may be useful to Marketing Managers who are working on campaigns that involve natural language processing or machine learning. The course can provide you with the skills to generate and use text embeddings, which can be used to improve the accuracy of natural language processing and machine learning models.

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User Experience Designer

User Experience Designers design and evaluate user interfaces for websites, apps, and other products. They work in a variety of industries, including technology, consumer goods, and healthcare. This course may be useful to User Experience Designers who are working on products that involve natural language processing or machine learning. The course can provide you with the skills to generate and use text embeddings, which can be used to improve the accuracy of natural language processing and machine learning models.

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Information Architect

Information Architects design and organize websites, apps, and other information systems. They work in a variety of industries, including technology, consumer goods, and healthcare. This course may be useful to Information Architects who are working on systems that involve natural language processing or machine learning. The course can provide you with the skills to generate and use text embeddings, which can be used to improve the accuracy of natural language processing and machine learning models.

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Librarian

Librarians help people find and use information. They work in a variety of settings, including libraries, schools, and businesses. This course may be useful to Librarians who are working with collections that include natural language processing or machine learning resources. The course can provide you with the skills to generate and use text embeddings, which can be used to improve the accuracy of natural language processing and machine learning models.

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Sales Manager

Sales Managers are responsible for leading and managing sales teams. They work in a variety of industries, including technology, consumer goods, and healthcare. This course may be useful to Sales Managers who are working on teams that involve natural language processing or machine learning. The course can provide you with the skills to generate and use text embeddings, which can be used to improve the accuracy of natural language processing and machine learning models.

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