How to check the source of an AI memory
Trace an AI answer back to a conversation, distinguish a quote from a summary, and check whether a later decision changed the claim.
Keep a project moving 2 min read
Keep a decision log across AI conversations
Keep one short record for each consequential decision: the choice, status, reason, source, and condition for revisiting it. Update that record when the decision changes instead of leaving two competing versions.
Record the rejected option too
A new assistant may suggest an idea that was already ruled out for a good reason. “Use email sign-in” is incomplete if you rejected passwords to avoid a particular support burden. Keep the reason, not the entire debate.
You do not need a log of every wording change. Record choices that constrain later work: pricing assumptions, supported platforms, data handling, launch scope, or a technical dependency.
Give provisional decisions an exit condition
“Try a weekly report until five customers have used it” is easier to revisit than “weekly reports are the strategy.” Include the observation that would make you change course. An assistant can then help look for that evidence without treating the choice as permanent.
When a decision changes, mark the previous entry as replaced and point to the new one. Keep the history when it explains current constraints. Avoid rewriting the old entry as though everyone always agreed with the new position.
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Decision log entry
An illustrative template. Replace the details with material you are allowed to share.
Decision: Use a weekly digest for the pilot. Status: Provisional. Reason: The pilot team reviews work on Mondays. Rejected: Daily email, because it adds another inbox task. Source: Pilot planning discussion. Revisit when: The first five users complete two review cycles. Owner: [person responsible] Replaces: [older decision, if any]
USING THIS WITH DRAY
Keep the context. Check the source.
Dray can help retrieve captured discussions behind a decision. It does not turn a suggestion in a chat into an approved commitment.
Dray is in beta. Available sources and connections depend on your setup. Read the data notes before granting access.
Sources & next reads
Product details are grounded in the guides below. Example projects and prompts are illustrative, not customer results.