Agent Memory
How an AI agent keeps track of information across the steps of a task, or across multiple conversations. Short-term memory is what's currently in the active context — the agent can see it directly. Long-term memory is stored externally (in a database or file) and retrieved when needed. Without effective memory, agents repeat work, contradict themselves, or lose track of what they've already done. Good memory management is a core challenge in building reliable agents.
In practice
You're building a support bot that handles multi-step refund requests. Without memory, every message forgets what came before — Claude asks for the order number again on step three. With proper agent memory, it holds onto what the customer already said and picks up where it left off.
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