AI Agent Memory Patterns
Memory is what allows an AI agent to do more than answer isolated prompts. With the right memory pattern, an agent can remember goals, prior actions, user preferences, and relevant facts across longer workflows.
Three Common Memory Layers
- Working memory: the active context for the current task
- Session memory: information preserved across a conversation
- Long-term memory: durable facts saved for future interactions
Why Memory Is Hard
Too little memory makes the agent repetitive and forgetful. Too much memory creates clutter, raises privacy concerns, and can cause the model to rely on stale or irrelevant information.
Design Principle
Useful memory is selective. Good agents remember what improves future performance and discard what only adds noise.