Governed state

The definition

The authoritative current answer a continuity layer maintains — every write passing through a contract, and every fact able to show the lineage behind it.

The same words the glossary hub and the public data mirror carry; this page is the stable address for the term.

Related terms

• Continuity layer

  A continuity layer is the part of an AI system that carries forward governed state across sessions, tools, models, and hosts: what is currently true, what…

• Memory

  The store of facts, preferences, and records a system keeps so it doesn’t start from nothing each time. What is stored — distinct from which stored facts are…

• State

  The current condition of a user, workflow, task, or process — what persists between steps and sessions. Distinct from governed state, which adds provenance…

• Governed write (write contract)

  A write that passes through a contract, the rules for what may enter the current state and by whom, instead of landing wherever. What enters governed state…

• Lineage

  The visible chain behind an answer: where each fact came from, when it changed, and what it superseded. It lets you ask a system why it believes something…

Where it shows up on this site

• The thesis · ReferenceAI doesn't need more memory. It needs continuity. Eight beats, versioned and signed