The PaLM API is deprecated for use with Google AI services and tools (but not for Vertex AI). Learn more about this deprecation, its timeline, and how to migrate to use Gemini in the PaLM API deprecation guide.

PaLM API: Embeddings quickstart with Python

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In this notebook, you'll learn how to get started with the PaLM API, which gives you access to Google's latest large language models. Here, you'll learn how to use the PaLM API's embedding generation features, and see an example of what you can do with these embeddings.

Setup

First, download and install the PaLM API Python library.

pip install -U google-generativeai

import numpy as np
import google.generativeai as palm

Grab an API Key

To get started, you'll need to create an API key.

palm.configure(api_key='PALM_KEY')

What are embeddings?

Embeddings are a technique used to represent text (like words, sentences, or entire paragraphs) as a list of floating point numbers in an array. These numbers aren't random. The key idea is that text with similar meanings will have similar embeddings. You can use the relationship between them for many important tasks.

Embedding generation

In this section, you will see how to generate embeddings for a piece of text using PaLM API's palm.generate_embeddings function. Here are a list of models that support this function.

for model in palm.list_models():
  if 'embedText' in model.supported_generation_methods:
    print(model.name)

models/embedding-gecko-001

Use the function palm.generate_embeddings and pass in the name of the model as well as some text. You will get a list of floating point values. Start with a query "What do squirrels eat?" and see how related two different strings are to it.

x = 'What do squirrels eat?'

close_to_x = 'nuts and acorns'

different_from_x = 'This morning I woke up in San Francisco, and took a walk to the Bay Bridge. It was a good, sunny morning with no fog.'

model = "models/embedding-gecko-001"

# Create an embedding
embedding_x = palm.generate_embeddings(model=model, text=x)
embedding_close_to_x = palm.generate_embeddings(model=model, text=close_to_x)
embedding_different_from_x = palm.generate_embeddings(model=model, text=different_from_x)

print(embedding_x)

{'embedding': [-0.025894878, -0.02103396, 0.003574992, 0.00822288, 0.03276648, -0.10068223, -0.037702546, 0.01079403, 0.0001406235, -0.029412385, 0.01919925, 0.0048481044, 0.070619866, -0.013349887, 0.028378602, -0.018658886, -0.038629908, 0.056883123, 0.06332366, 0.039849922, -0.085393265, -0.016251814, -0.025535949, 0.0049480307, 0.048581485, -0.11295683, 0.033869933, 0.015498774, -0.07306243, 0.000857902, -0.022031788, -0.005298939, -0.08311722, -0.027091762, 0.042790364, 0.023175264, 0.011238991, -0.02432924, -0.0044626957, 0.05167071, 0.023430848, 0.027325166, -0.01492389, -0.018770715, -0.003783692, 0.040971957, -0.044652887, 0.033220302, -0.05659744, -0.055191413, -0.0023204528, -0.043687623, 0.030044463, -0.015966717, -0.04318426, 0.015735775, -0.038352676, -0.005009736, -0.03289721, 0.016246213, -0.005696393, -0.0010992853, -0.02768714, -0.03534994, -0.045970507, 0.05784305, -0.026696421, -0.013302212, 0.007055761, -0.05885901, 0.03330113, 0.04399591, 0.020755561, 0.0028288597, 0.037333105, 0.0103595415, -0.01942964, 0.033088185, 0.009558319, -0.06524442, -0.07101354, -0.053975347, -0.003952934, -0.11641813, -0.039488368, -0.0033782825, -0.017735159, 0.03198736, 0.014555729, 0.050724585, -0.07849815, -0.0070436746, 0.017992217, -0.003975652, -0.0039650565, 0.08063971, -0.011685766, -0.018323965, 0.007763516, 0.012011537, 0.028457757, -0.099603206, 0.0328822, 0.0063217366, 0.051288057, 0.060445003, -0.007725884, -0.0033487668, -0.02697037, -0.04471915, 0.014793467, 0.0029390613, -0.04365732, -0.036976494, 0.05571355, -0.034228597, 0.05610819, 0.0016565409, 0.06461147, 0.012197695, -0.029221235, 0.015400638, 0.009992722, -0.0126949195, 0.027302667, 0.04309881, 0.013308768, -0.034253325, -0.028620966, 0.0032988666, 0.008901495, 0.0051033413, 0.08693829, -0.035939537, -0.00014025549, -0.0021354076, 0.043875773, -0.057092454, 0.0048032254, 0.04456835, -0.01337361, 0.018620204, -0.0037525205, 0.018113593, -0.0024051766, -0.006519982, 0.043426506, -0.028869089, -0.07003764, -0.027043046, -0.047674373, -0.036566455, -0.029664699, 0.054604772, 0.056459025, 0.016209831, 0.06588335, 0.07294827, -0.07351654, -0.050157, 0.05211485, -0.02302033, 0.022877783, 0.013553745, -0.019406103, -0.0058154585, 0.0373227, 0.0052685454, 0.02164789, -0.019631775, -0.015719362, -0.06862338, 0.021698158, -0.013781832, 0.06955018, -0.023942512, -0.018029014, -0.018007774, -0.0059923544, -0.02771734, -0.0019507131, -0.069619514, 0.054189045, 0.0021985532, -0.01132558, 0.015128105, 0.015424623, -0.038302787, -0.038970694, 0.044268098, 0.015156813, 0.030262465, -0.0010455108, -0.032175235, -0.03357542, -9.529959e-05, 0.062028274, -0.10134925, -0.009874221, 0.051682726, -0.022124732, 0.010147164, -0.012185555, 0.03731382, -0.00059438165, -0.017981028, -0.070909515, 0.02605233, 0.06992509, 0.026033426, -0.023944097, -0.047794044, 0.0204043, 0.025562089, -0.01985736, -0.027300185, 0.029983355, -0.0821883, -0.018791717, -0.004772287, -0.02490102, -0.010111937, 0.050968856, 0.029660473, 3.4716293e-05, -0.017517656, 0.023977743, 0.022549666, 0.04181301, 0.007500569, -0.0019229053, 0.023285722, -0.010899088, -0.004949611, -0.012531907, 0.041027624, -0.004620342, -0.013926477, -0.020054528, 0.026111232, -0.06232942, 0.09978252, -0.044156674, 0.061204664, 0.007044644, -0.0027112814, 0.04620226, 0.006134901, 0.03983195, -0.009853767, 0.0137631735, -0.07085734, 0.009606741, -0.008636412, 0.050337072, 0.045284208, -0.0032710661, -0.016086245, 0.008386805, -0.007903436, 0.0350885, 0.0025110857, 0.04684593, 0.12780859, -0.038998656, -0.029157333, -0.029113598, 0.0074333544, 0.05532698, -0.034412585, -0.00013683736, -0.020530468, 0.06506163, 0.0019480588, 0.0030335467, -0.018495142, -0.054084025, 0.023021378, -0.010500294, -0.007759436, -0.020039978, -0.017755102, 0.0006766737, 0.014525485, -0.026014434, 0.002474586, -0.027173916, 0.0093613025, 0.0058087856, 0.0006998545, 0.04791365, -0.04368597, -0.015235596, 0.0069595333, 0.009612967, -0.0009247106, 0.033619776, -0.00649697, -0.04766721, 0.0391879, -0.010284179, -0.006610166, -0.0020641836, -0.05440346, -0.007050968, -0.015853178, -0.031741284, -0.02172385, 0.03021658, -0.0012069787, 0.050265886, 0.04510601, -0.024716277, -0.05543306, -0.06419837, -0.014273427, -0.023703339, 0.0017521745, -0.056149185, 0.0069642677, 0.0065768356, 0.035255834, 0.039023213, 0.016403731, 0.025051782, 0.00695039, -0.05579997, 0.013183741, 0.08474835, -0.012680079, 0.0041794777, 0.02355896, -0.07197163, 0.024911461, -0.018766653, 0.025204346, 0.0048066434, 0.04904056, 0.016669538, -0.037882168, -0.021643393, 0.0053031743, -0.031009668, -0.016543044, -0.020345997, -0.005761681, -0.0743119, -0.02601627, -0.023271384, -0.07075993, -0.0029876109, 0.0066218525, -0.061091717, 0.032953493, 0.03662513, 0.010290128, 0.05418312, -0.03828874, 0.03312786, -0.014862627, -0.03720938, 0.018570531, -0.020742243, 0.048026983, 0.005438336, 0.020241424, -0.04405181, 0.030792728, 0.033958763, -0.023588262, 0.037658524, 0.010072951, 0.0064869304, 0.019048406, -0.06919818, -0.017083945, -0.016801478, 0.0027415873, 0.008172279, 0.0019755305, -0.057162683, -0.0053946367, 0.0014972482, -0.033361986, -0.0033606717, 0.03242665, 0.072544955, 0.02279949, -0.046871353, -0.06308129, 0.029209439, 0.011341486, 0.032790348, -0.020073028, -0.0044093695, 0.08292041, -0.03140556, 0.009308279, -0.004211382, -0.052444175, 0.0180874, 0.008575959, -0.0013550716, -0.07186043, 0.028372435, 0.024996122, 0.027749002, 0.016944503, -0.014632978, -0.06674174, -0.043031745, -0.044137582, 0.03530514, 0.030504197, 0.060496386, -0.06423886, 0.012235539, -0.05830343, -0.015868725, 0.041861057, 0.027080601, -0.014182999, -0.028095996, 0.0016349283, 0.010679886, 0.048808616, -0.058294244, -0.010633062, -0.056791265, -0.027161647, -0.030019993, -0.010299281, -0.03821823, -0.016588321, -0.0059704296, -0.053497788, 0.05661912, 0.005010262, -0.020186698, -0.03151958, -0.07490499, 0.045715272, -0.03747153, 0.02902543, 0.015007152, -0.01799195, 0.0079564275, -0.028715475, -0.018788284, -0.041037183, 0.012932907, -0.0072463937, -0.0046510296, 0.052094106, 0.047214568, -0.05604256, 0.006124289, -0.06112983, -0.028900363, -0.0033062366, -0.016411366, -0.03985708, -0.005927899, 0.027991273, -0.034023542, 0.0023991684, 0.020010024, 0.014298016, 0.017212953, 0.002652654, -0.08308305, 0.01726592, 0.013845524, 0.0065021385, 0.0364733, 0.020361774, 0.09685079, 0.04039578, 0.016480403, -0.08329836, -0.06590067, 0.00012861127, -0.055775307, 0.0065172235, -0.018937778, -0.021399701, 0.0004559998, -0.0097613875, -0.003239602, 0.0041429265, 0.059930306, -0.01656465, 0.018544743, -0.03232914, 0.006037772, -0.06402926, 0.05761484, -0.02093143, 0.018229362, 0.024098346, 0.025045564, -0.009451666, -0.010259512, 0.006660359, -0.029620942, -0.03495546, -0.06783166, -0.03193859, -0.04261954, 0.027878316, 0.023951625, 0.016354026, -0.0015310713, -0.05785183, -0.04868827, -0.06779814, -0.09212996, 0.04355289, 0.02634198, 0.045933742, -0.012108333, -0.017381534, 0.012251423, 0.035591044, 0.05024221, 0.056855064, 0.0101336455, -0.009532219, -0.054251555, 0.034745548, 0.020292252, 0.033525895, -0.040225316, -0.00015249893, -0.07806101, 0.0075722514, 0.015309747, 0.022623314, 0.06536824, 0.064232446, -0.01557734, -0.04813796, -0.013913105, 0.020742541, 0.060864896, -0.056623433, 0.057601452, -1.6570028e-05, 0.010925783, 0.0036125665, 0.032784764, -0.0801319, -0.048450164, 0.06296668, 0.02989288, -0.011754737, -0.0010066505, -0.05441974, -0.017106231, -0.04285682, -0.005424776, -0.028312048, -0.0022843084, -0.02028908, -0.007416978, 0.016722959, 0.03343588, -0.049168676, 0.003828647, 0.043084797, -0.011436926, -0.017679023, -0.012748326, -0.015104218, 0.008225339, -0.005965197, -0.010827806, -0.015990732, 0.031933613, 0.01862576, -0.013171726, 0.007987761, -0.018449496, 0.041906953, -0.020788714, 0.03404006, -0.00086082605, -0.007771558, 0.023855729, -0.00295711, -0.0085285455, -0.0556957, -0.005321175, 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-0.013629232, -0.03840216, 0.06655019, 0.009643849, 0.025085986, -0.018909356, -0.011246176, -0.05254555, -0.06776485, -0.02931862, 0.014850466, 0.029691922, -0.04090594, 0.0544204, 0.01552631, 0.02912549, -0.0020693596, 0.038805272, -0.009980787, 0.031122748, -0.05562063, 0.021108221, 0.0103203785, 0.044171233, 0.009732269, -0.0011330071]}

Now that you have created the embeddings, let's use the dot product to see how related close_to_x and different_from_x are to x. The dot product returns a value between -1 and 1, and represents how closely two vectors align in terms of what direction they point in. The closer the value is to 0, the less similar to objects (in this case, two strings) are. The closer the value is to 1, the more similar they are.

similar_measure = np.dot(embedding_x['embedding'], embedding_close_to_x['embedding'])

print(similar_measure)

0.7314063252924405

different_measure = np.dot(embedding_x['embedding'], embedding_different_from_x['embedding'])

print(different_measure)

0.43560702838194704

As shown here, the higher dot product value between the embeddings of x and close_to_x demonstrates more relatedness than the embeddings of x and different_from_x.

What can you do with embeddings?

You've generated your first set of embeddings with the PaLM API! But what can you do with this list of floating point values? Embeddings can be used for a wide variety of natural language processing (NLP) tasks, including:

Search (documents, web, etc.)
Recommendation systems
Clustering
Sentiment analysis/text classification

You can find examples here.