Decisions must survive across tools and people. Where do they belong?
Why B is the answer
In external memory, such as files in the repository
Repository files are durable, reviewable and available to every tool and person.
In detail
- External memory, such as files in the repository, outlives sessions.
- Tools and people can all read it.
- Put the date and the reason in the record.
Use case
An illustrative scenario, not a real incident.
A team records an architecture decision in a file in the repository. Other agents and people can read it, long after the session ends.
See it in different ways
flowchart TD
A{"How long is it needed?"} -->|"This session"| B["Short-term memory"]
A -->|"Across sessions"| C["Long-term memory"]
A -->|"Across tools and people"| D["External: files in the repository"]mindmap
root((Agent memory))
Short term
This task only
External
Files in the repository
Progress artifacts
Copilot Memory
Repository facts
Care
Expiry
Pruningflowchart LR S0["Decision made"] --> S1["Written to the repository"] --> S2["Reviewed"] --> S3["Read by later agents"]
Key point: Lasting decisions go in external memory.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Only in the conversation with one agent, which ends with that session
- It ends with the session.
- C. In the short-term memory of whichever agent made the decision
- Short-term memory is lost after the task.
- D. In the agent's conversation history alone
- Conversation history is not shared across tools.