Agent Memory
Definition
The mechanisms an AI agent uses to retain information within a session or across sessions, enabling context and personalization over time.In-Depth Explanation
Agent memory is commonly graded by persistence. Stateless agents keep nothing between runs; short-term memory holds context within a single session (the working context or conversation buffer); long-term memory persists across sessions, usually via a vector database or knowledge store; and persistent memory adds structured, user-level profiles managed by a dedicated memory layer. Long-term memory is often subdivided into episodic (past interactions), semantic (facts), and procedural (skills). Memory is what turns a chatbot into an agent that learns and remembers.
Real-World Example
A coding agent stores your project conventions in long-term memory so it applies them automatically in future sessions.