Exploring the benefits of learned indexes in PostgreSQL: Theory and Implementation
Presenters Gary Evans Nishchay Kothari Source PGConf.dev 2025 🚀 Learned Indexes & PostgreSQL: A Challenging Integration Journey 💡 PostgreSQL is a powerhouse of a database, relied on by countless applications. But as workloads evolve – especially those driven by machine learning and AI – traditional indexing methods sometimes struggle to keep pace. This presentation explored a fascinating, and ultimately complex, journey: attempting to integrate Microsoft’s learned index structure, “Alex,” directly into PostgreSQL. While the initial ambition was high, the experience highlighted some critical architectural realities and paved the way for exciting, more targeted solutions. Let’s dive in! ...