---
type: entity
subtype: tool
title: "Pinecone"
description: "Vector database used optionally by Auto-GPT to provide long-term memory."
resource: "https://www.pinecone.io"
tags: [vector-database, rag, memory-systems]
videos: [local-vs-cloud-llmsrag-lets-finally-end-this-debate, the-most-profitable-ai-niche-no-one-is-talking-about, the-only-ai-developer-roadmap-you-need-in-2024, chatgpt-is-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving-introducing-auto-gpt]
created: 2026-07-21
updated: 2026-07-21
---

# Pinecone

Pinecone is the managed, cloud-hosted vector database Cole has reached for since his earliest agent builds. In an early roadmap video he calls it out by name: "there's also Pinecone which is my favorite Vector database they have great documentation on rag as well" ([0:10:09]). It stores [vector embeddings](../../concepts/vector-embeddings.md) so an agent can retrieve relevant knowledge at query time, the core mechanism behind [RAG](../../concepts/rag.md) and behind giving agents [memory](../../concepts/memory-systems.md).

## How Cole uses it

Pinecone shows up first as the optional long-term memory store for Auto-GPT, one of the tools that put autonomous agents on Cole's radar. "a Pinecone API key is required that's for the vector database to give Auto GPT long-term memory it's not actually a requirement though" ([0:03:07]) - a clean early illustration of the pattern where a vector DB plugs in behind an agent to remember across runs, an example of [tool use](../../concepts/tool-use.md) wired into an agent loop.

In his client-facing and prototype work Pinecone is the backing store for a knowledge base: he builds "an endpoint to update our knowledge base our Vector database with Pinecone to handle any FAQs that we'll have for our clients" ([0:08:21]), a fast path to a working [RAG](../../concepts/rag.md) system when [rapid prototyping](../../concepts/rapid-prototyping.md). Its generous free tier is part of the appeal, cited alongside Supabase as one of "the generous free tiers that services like Pinecone or Supabase offer" ([0:08:12]).

When Cole frames the local-vs-cloud tradeoff, Pinecone sits on the cloud side of the ledger opposite self-hosted options: "then we have Pinecone or Qdrant for the vector database" ([0:02:34]). It is the hosted, zero-ops choice for [agent deployment](../../concepts/agent-deployment.md) when you would rather not run your own vector store, contrasted with local databases like [Qdrant](./qdrant.md), [Chroma](./chroma.md), and [Supabase](./supabase.md).

## Realizes

- [Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)](../../concepts/rag.md) - Pinecone stores embeddings for retrieval, the core mechanism behind RAG.
- [Vector Embeddings](../../concepts/vector-embeddings.md) - the numeric representations Pinecone indexes for semantic similarity search.
- [Memory Systems](../../concepts/memory-systems.md) - it gave Auto-GPT durable long-term memory across runs.

## Contrasts with

- [Qdrant](./qdrant.md) - the self-hosted vector database Cole names opposite Pinecone on the cloud-vs-local ledger.
- [Supabase](./supabase.md) - the Postgres/pgvector platform whose generous free tier Cole cites alongside Pinecone's.

## Related

- [Tool Use](../../concepts/tool-use.md) - a vector DB plugged in behind an agent so it can fetch knowledge at query time.
- [Rapid Prototyping](../../concepts/rapid-prototyping.md) - the managed, zero-ops store that gives a fast path to a working RAG system.
- [Agent Deployment](../../concepts/agent-deployment.md) - the hosted, plug-in vector store when you would rather not run your own.
- [Model Selection](../../concepts/model-selection.md) - the parallel quality/speed/cost tradeoff on the model side of the same stack.

## Sources

- [The ONLY AI Developer Roadmap You Need in 2024](../../sources/the-only-ai-developer-roadmap-you-need-in-2024.md) - "[0:10:09] there's also Pinecone which is my favorite Vector database they have great documentation on rag as well."
- [ChatGPT is the GIFT that keeps on GIVING - Introducing Auto-GPT](../../sources/chatgpt-is-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving-introducing-auto-gpt.md) - "[0:03:07] a Pinecone API key is required that's for the vector database to give Auto GPT long-term memory it's not actually a requirement though."
- [The MOST Profitable AI Niche NO ONE is Talking About](../../sources/the-most-profitable-ai-niche-no-one-is-talking-about.md) - "[0:08:21] an endpoint to update our knowledge base our Vector database with Pinecone to handle any FAQs that we'll have for our clients."
- [Local vs. Cloud LLMs/RAG - Let's FINALLY End this Debate](../../sources/local-vs-cloud-llmsrag-lets-finally-end-this-debate.md) - "[0:02:34] then we have Pinecone or Qdrant for the vector database."
