Open Memory Protocol Initiative
A multi-stakeholder working group hosted at the AI Disclosures Project, developing an open, interoperable protocol for portable AI-agent memory
Persistent memory is becoming a core layer of agent infrastructure faster than shared exchange semantics are emerging
Every major coding-agent harness (Claude Code, Codex, goose, OpenClaw, Letta Code) implements memory, but each uses a different convention. A developer cannot move a stateful agent from one harness to another. An enterprise cannot switch memory providers without re-ingesting derived memory objects. Open-source memory projects duplicate one another because there is no shared object model, provenance format, or exchange protocol to converge on.
The Open Memory Protocol (OMPI) closes this gap. The Open Memory Protocol Initiative (OMPI) is the working group hosted at the AI Disclosures Project that develops, maintains, and grows the ecosystem around it.
The smallest interoperable layer over existing memory primitives
- A memory-directory contract that any conforming harness can read: markdown files at the root, optional nested subdirectories for progressive disclosure.
- A four-rule harness contract: root markdown is loaded into context, nested markdown is deferred, deferred paths are surfaced to the agent, agents can selectively read deferred files.
- The distinction between core memory (always in-context) and external memory (progressively disclosed).
- Structural validation rules for MEMORY.md discovery across the memory tree.
Backends, ownership, and internal architecture stay with implementers
- Storage backend (files, database, vector store, hybrid)
- Synchronization or version control (git, MemFS, cloud replication)
- Who owns or may write each file
- How memory is edited or summarized inside a harness
- When a running conversation refreshes the prefix after an edit
What is available today
Agent Memory Specification, v0.1
Draft authored by Charles Packer (CEO, Letta) with feedback from the AI Disclosures Project team. Circulating in the working group in advance of the September 9 kickoff.
Read the draftPython package (pre-alpha)
A minimal Python implementation of the loader, validator, and harness contract. Runs against any spec-conformant memory directory.
View on GitHubWorking-group governance model
Steering committee, RFC process, licensing, and long-term stewardship plan (target: standards-body handoff after production adoption).
Read governanceState of agent memory (2026)
A survey of production and open-source memory systems (Letta, Mem0, Zep, Graphiti, AWS AgentCore Memory, Google OKF, and coding-agent harnesses) and where OMPI fits.
Read the surveyFormal in-kind partners and implementation collaborators
Mozilla
Co-hosts working-group convenings and leads ecosystem recruitment across Mozilla's open-source and AI-developer network.
IBM
Co-hosts convenings, contributes enterprise-adoption pathways, and advises on standards-body process.
Letta
Author of the draft OMPI specification. Contributes MemGPT / Letta memory-object model and the open-source Trajectory package.
Block / goose
Open-source agent harness built on the Model Context Protocol. First-vertical implementation target for OMPI conformance.
From kickoff to IETF handoff
Join the working group
If you build agent memory, maintain a coding-agent harness, run a memory-layer service, or work on standards for AI infrastructure, we want you in the working group.
Email OMPI GitHub