technology-selection

Choosing the right .NET AI stack requires classifying whether your task needs LLM orchestration via Microsoft.Extensions.AI or local inference via ONNX Runtime. The correct selection ensures MEAI-first abstraction layering and proper provider SDK alignment for .NET 8+ applications.

The best way to build RAG pipelines in .NET 8 is using vector-search abstractions mapped by task type, enforcing strict relevance filtering and RAG chunking guardrails. This approach aligns with Microsoft.Extensions.AI to handle semantic retrieval safely and cost-effectively.

You should use Microsoft Agent Framework instead of ML.NET when your application requires tool-using agentic workflows rather than deterministic ML predictions. ML.NET handles deterministic ML tasks, while the Agent Framework manages complex reasoning and tool-based retrieval.

Microsoft.Extensions.AI supports dependency injection and token cost controls by enforcing strict DI registration and explicit guardrails. This ensures production-ready implementations with defined temperature, max token limits, retries, and safe fallback validation.

Without MEAI-first abstractions, using ONNX Runtime for local ML predictions limits your ability to swap providers and manage hybrid pipelines safely. Proper layering requires DI registration and provider SDK selection to maintain determinism and enforce fallback behavior.