Semantic search performance regression in Meilisearch 1.16+

Semantic search queries execute 2x slower (approximately 2.5 seconds vs ~1.25 seconds) in Meilisearch versions 1.16 and above compared to version 1.13. Version 1.15.2 shows slight degradation. Regression is specific to semantic search; traditional text search with filters and sorting maintains consistent performance across versions.

For immediate relief, downgrade to version 1.15.2 which shows performance closer to 1.13. For versions 1.16+, enable the experimental vector store (beta feature) which provides noticeable speed improvements for semantic search. To diagnose, verify if semantic search is enabled—remove filters and sorting to isolate whether slowness is semantic-specific.