M4A

Personal AI Assistant

An assistant that learns your preferences, schedule, and communication style

intermediateGeneralproductivityschedulingpersonalizationdaily-use

Overview

A personal AI assistant with memory becomes a true digital companion that understands your life context. Unlike generic assistants that start fresh every conversation, a memory-enabled assistant builds a model of who you are over time.

What Memory Enables

Preference Learning

The assistant learns your preferences through interaction:

  • Morning coffee order for different contexts (work vs. weekend)
  • Preferred airlines, seat positions, hotel chains
  • Communication style (brief vs. detailed responses)
  • Work hours and do-not-disturb preferences

    • Contextual Awareness

    Understanding your current life context:

  • Ongoing projects and deadlines
  • Upcoming trips and events
  • Recent conversations and follow-ups needed
  • Current priorities and focus areas

    • Relationship Memory

    Keeping track of your personal network:

  • Family members, friends, colleagues
  • Important dates (birthdays, anniversaries)
  • Conversation history with each person
  • Gift ideas and preferences noted

    • Memory Categories

    Short-term Context

  • Current task or conversation thread
  • Today's schedule and priorities
  • Recent requests and their outcomes

    • Long-term Knowledge

  • Stable preferences that rarely change
  • Life facts (where you live, work, family)
  • Historical patterns (travel frequency, spending habits)

    • Episodic Memory

  • Specific memorable interactions
  • Important decisions and their reasoning
  • Lessons learned from past mistakes

    • Sample Interactions

    **Learning Preferences:**

    User: "Book me a flight to NYC next Tuesday"

    Assistant: "I'll book your usual aisle seat on Delta, departing around 8am from SFO. Should I also reserve the Kimpton like last time, or try somewhere new?"

    **Contextual Awareness:**

    User: "What should I focus on today?"

    Assistant: "You have the board presentation Thursday, and you mentioned wanting two full days to prepare. I'd suggest finishing the Q3 analysis today. Also, it's your mom's birthday tomorrow - want me to remind you this evening to call her?"

    **Relationship Memory:**

    User: "Get a gift for Sarah"

    Assistant: "For Sarah's upcoming birthday? Last year you got her that cooking class which she loved. She mentioned recently getting into pottery - there's a well-reviewed ceramics workshop nearby. Should I look into that?"

    Privacy Architecture

    Personal assistants require careful privacy design:

  • Local-first storage: Keep sensitive data on-device when possible
  • Encryption: End-to-end encryption for synced data
  • Granular control: Let users see and delete any stored memory
  • Explicit consent: Ask before storing sensitive information

    • Building Trust Over Time

    The assistant should:

  • Explain what it remembers and why
  • Ask permission before using sensitive context
  • Admit when it doesn't know something
  • Allow easy correction of wrong memories

    • Long-term Value

    Over months and years, the assistant becomes invaluable:

  • Institutional memory of your life
  • Pattern recognition across time
  • Proactive suggestions based on history
  • Continuity through life changes
    • Back to Use Cases