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Introduction to Vertex AI

What is Vertex AI?​

Vertex AI is Google Cloud's fully managed AI platform. It brings together generative AI models (such as Gemini) and machine learning tools in one place.

Why Use Vertex AI?​

  • Foundation Models: Access models like Gemini without managing any infrastructure.
  • SQL Integration: Use BigQuery ML remote models to run generative AI directly on table data.
  • Enterprise Ready: Built-in IAM access controls and enterprise data privacy.

BigQuery ML + Vertex AI Workflow​

You can call Vertex AI models directly using standard SQL queries:

BigQuery (SQL) ──► Connection (IAM) ──► Vertex AI (Gemini) ──► Output
  1. Create Connection: Set up a BigQuery CLOUD_RESOURCE connection.
  2. Grant IAM Role: Assign roles/aiplatform.user to the connection service account.
  3. Create Remote Model: Define a model in BigQuery pointing to a Gemini endpoint.
  4. Run Inference: Use ML.GENERATE_TEXT to process data in SQL.