Memory is not storage. Memory is the substrate for Direction.
Directional Memory is ODEI's governed approach to preserving the context that changes future decisions. It does not treat a transcript, vector store, or list of remembered preferences as a trusted model of a person.
The unit of value is not a remembered sentence. It is a source-grounded element placed in the owner's Direction Graph, connected to what it serves, reviewed at the appropriate risk boundary, and recoverable through receipt and rollback.
| Conventional AI memory | Directional Memory |
|---|---|
| Retrieves something previously said | Explains what future decision or outcome the memory affects |
| Often stores isolated fragments | Places memory in a connected Direction Graph |
| Treats generated interpretation as context | Separates evidence, semantic judgment, deterministic validation, and owner authority |
| Optimizes retrieval | Optimizes direction, trust, and recoverability |
| Hides mutation inside system behavior | Makes consequential change visible through review, receipt, and rollback |
The World Model is the owner's Direction Graph:
Foundation -> Vision -> Strategy -> Tactics -> Execution -> Track
\_____________________________________________________/
Symbiosis
- Foundation — who the owner is, including values, constraints, resources, and non-negotiables.
- Vision — where the owner chooses to go.
- Strategy — the path and trade-offs.
- Tactics — near-term methods, experiments, and risk controls.
- Execution — concrete work and commitments.
- Track — outcomes, evidence, progress, and drift.
- Symbiosis — how the owner and AI share context, authority, consent, review, and trust.
Read Direction Graph for the public model.
Session
-> Evidence
-> Semantic judgment
-> Deterministic validation and risk route
-> Owner review or governed apply
-> Node and relationship
-> Receipt
-> Trusted operator context
-> Correction, delete, or rollback
Conversation is evidence, not durable memory. A model may propose meaning; it does not grant itself authority to save, disclose, or act.
Read Governance for review and autonomy boundaries, and the Glossary for canonical public language.
This repository documents Directional Memory and the Direction Graph. It does not publish ODEI implementation source, owner memory, model prompts, private schemas, credentials, or runtime operations.
See Public Boundary.
- ODEI App: github.com/odei-ai/odei-app
- ODEI Research: api.odei.ai/research
- Product: odei.ai
- Contact and corrections: ai@odei.ai