Building Persistent AI Systems Without a Traditional Database

This paper shows a new way to build AI assistants without using a complex database. Instead of hiding data in a database, we store the AI’s memory, personality, and skills in simple Markdown files that anyone can read. For systems like personal assistants or those with fewer users, a heavy database is often overkill. Proper Segregation of markdown files: working_memory.md episodic_memory.md semantic_memory.md personality.md habits.md self_reflection.md skills.md skill_context.md To help the AI find information quickly, we use a tool called FAISS to search through these files, but the files themselves always remain the main source of truth. By using simple files instead of a database, the system is much easier to fix, track, and move. It’s a perfect 'middle ground' for personal AI projects because it’s simple to manage but still powerful enough to handle complex tasks.

Authors

Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-03-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19023209
Primary Topic
AI-based Problem Solving and Planning
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

Building Persistent AI Systems Without a Traditional Database

Hrishikesh Maluskar
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
AI-based Problem Solving and Planning
article

Building Persistent AI Systems Without a Traditional Database

Hrishikesh Maluskar
article en

Abstract

This paper shows a new way to build AI assistants without using a complex database. Instead of hiding data in a database, we store the AI’s memory, personality, and skills in simple Markdown files that anyone can read. For systems like personal assistants or those with fewer users, a heavy database is often overkill. Proper Segregation of markdown files: working_memory.md episodic_memory.md semantic_memory.md personality.md habits.md self_reflection.md skills.md skill_context.md To help the AI find information quickly, we use a tool called FAISS to search through these files, but the files themselves always remain the main source of truth. By using simple files instead of a database, the system is much easier to fix, track, and move. It’s a perfect 'middle ground' for personal AI projects because it’s simple to manage but still powerful enough to handle complex tasks.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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Openalex Percentile: Top 26%
AI-based Problem Solving and Planning
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