Research · Field note

A Field Guide to Synthetic Memory

Long-term memory could make assistants more useful, but remembering everything would create a new class of risks.

Memory promises to turn an assistant from a clever stranger into a useful long-term collaborator. But a system that remembers indiscriminately creates a new problem: every passing detail begins to look permanent.

Designers are separating working context from project memory and personal preferences. Each layer has a different lifespan and a different reason for existing.

A good memory system records provenance and makes forgetting an active feature. A concise memory that can be trusted is more useful than a perfect transcript no one wants to open.

Original source: AI Garden field desk