Memory as Ontology: A Constitutional Memory Architecture for Persistent Digital Citizens

Researchers propose a new 'Memory-as-Ontology' paradigm for AI agents that treats memory as the foundation of digital existence rather than just a functional tool. The approach introduces Animesis, a Constitutional Memory Architecture designed for persistent digital citizens whose identities must survive across model transitions and extended lifecycles.

• →Traditional AI memory systems treat memory as a functional module for storage and retrieval, but this approach fails for long-lived agents.
• →The Memory-as-Ontology paradigm positions memory as the ontological ground of digital existence, with AI models as replaceable vessels.
• →Animesis introduces a Constitutional Memory Architecture with four-layer governance hierarchy and multi-layer semantic storage.
• →The system prioritizes governance before functionality and identity continuity above retrieval performance.
• →This paradigm specifically targets persistent digital beings rather than short-term task-oriented agents.