◈ AI GLOSSARY ◈

Memory

How an agent retains information: short-term memory for the current conversation, long-term memory for facts stored and recalled later.

WHY IT MATTERS

Memory is what lets an agent know you, your history, and what it did a minute ago.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the AI forget what I told it earlier in a chat?

Short-term memory only lasts as long as the current conversation fits inside the context window, so once a chat gets very long the earliest messages can drop off. For anything the AI should remember across sessions, it needs long-term memory that saves and recalls facts on purpose.

Is AI memory the same as my prompt or the context window?

Not quite. The context window is the size limit for what fits in one turn, while memory is the broader system that decides what to keep, store, and pull back in later. Long-term memory often leans on a vector database to fetch the right stored fact when it is needed.

Can an agent actually remember me and my past requests?

Yes, if it is built with long-term memory it can recall your details, history, and what it did earlier, so you do not have to repeat yourself. Without that layer, every conversation starts from a blank slate.

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